Nisegami
by Kishoto
Summary: An impulsive decision sets Sōma, Erina and all of Tōtsuki on a remarkably different path.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is a sort of what-if departure from canon. One single event changes and this dominoes into a series of larger and larger changes. The departure takes place right at the start of Chapter 150. So fans who aren't up to date on the manga may be a little confused, as Azami Nakiri isn't a character presented in the anime yet.**

 **Regardless, please enjoy and leave feedback, be it praises or flames!**

* * *

"I just happened to be in the area. Erina is here, isn't she?"

Sōma looked at the pale visage of Nakiri Azami, Tōtsuki's new director. The man cut a rather intimidating figure in his dark, expensive attire. Sōma didn't know much about fashion but even he was sure that the man was probably wearing an ensemble that cost more than a small car. Sōma smiled, his face an empty show of politeness.

"…and if she is?"

Azami looked down, cold eyes boring into Sōma's, in a look that would've frightened pretty much anyone else. Instead, it just annoyed Sōma, who needed no extra reason to dislike the man in front of him. The old man's words were still fresh in his mind, as if it wasn't bad enough that he was the ringleader behind the plot that almost tore down his dorm.

Azami held his gaze for a few seconds before looking up and past the red haired youth. He could hear loud music and excited yelling coming from further in, a telling sign of what was most certainly a premature victory celebration. With a conciliatory pat on the shoulder, he moved to walk past the young chef blocking his path.

"If you'll pardon me."

He found his advance halted, however, as he bumped into the young student, who had refused to move. Instead he'd extended his arm, barring access completely. It wouldn't stop anyone determined, but the intent was clear. You shall not pass.

Azami was taken aback for a moment. He was rarely denied anything, let alone held back in such a clear, physical manner. He couldn't even remember the last time someone had touched him against his will. Between his wealth, power and security team, he'd always been capable of maintaining the bubble he chose to isolate himself in.

And now this insolent dreg of the cooking world had intruded upon it.

Azami frowned, life coming back to his dull orbs where they had been so cold. He glared at the boy in front of him, who showed no remorse for his social faux pas. His voice, where it had been cold and distant before, was now a bit more alive, albeit with sarcastic bite.

"My apologies, your caution is understandable. You must certainly have no idea of who I am."

"Nakiri Azami. The guy that replaced the old man and runs Central, right?"

Azami didn't blink.

"In so many words, yes. I have an interest in seeing my daughter, so, if you would…?"

Sōma was unmoved.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you mean Nakiri-san. I don't think there's anyone here you would call your daughter."

With each second spent wasted on the bold Tōtsuki student, Azami's ire ticked steadily upward.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. I have it on good authority that Erina is inside of this dormitory. So, if you would."

With a more forceful push, he unseated Sōma's arm, gripping it and pushing it from the door jamb, before striding past him with almost palpable contempt. He released the boy's wrist, only to find his own grabbed in return, the surprise stopping him almost more than the force behind the hold.

"I feel it is I who should be apologizing to YOU, Nakiri-san. Perhaps I wasn't very clear. You aren't allowed inside these walls."

Azami turned, what had been embers now a roaring fire. His voice, however, had dropped even lower. Calling it ice would've almost been generous.

"You dare talk down to me? You insolent commoner?"

"It seems I do."

Azami stared down at the unflappable student. He could find his daughter after he'd crushed this miserable insect.

"If you don't take your hand off of me and step aside, then you can consider your time at this school finished. You have until the count of three. And I start counting at two."

Sōma released his wrist, and Azami straightened the cuff, his anger still apparent in the twitching of his fingers as he attempted to adjust the gold disc at the base of his sleeve.

"Leave my presence. You've overstayed the welcome you never had."

Through the brilliant combination of a stubborn cuff-link and his customary arrogance, Azami Nakiri never saw the fist coming. He certainly felt it however, as he took the blow directly to his cheek. The punch was solid and it sent him reeling as he stumbled back, passing over the threshold he'd only recently forced his way over.

"Nakiri-sama!"

He heard rustling behind him, as the team of security he routinely held in place witnessed the action and started moving from the perimeter he'd had them set up. In a scant few seconds, the Yukihira boy found himself trussed up between two suited men who towered over him, his feet barely grazing the ground in their hold.

"What would you have us do, Nakiri-sama?"

The blond behind him, his head of security, was the one that posed the question. Azami looked over at the man, still a bit stunned from the blow, though he would never admit it. It had been a well delivered punch, and he'd been utterly unprepared for it. He rubbed at his jaw, where he was sure a glaring red mark would be prominent on his pale complexion in a few hours, if not less.

"Drop the boy."

"But…sir…?"

Azami's eyes moved, delivering a flat stare.

"You would question me? After such a colossal failure by you and yours? I thought you wiser, Hideki."

The blonde's face blanched and he looked over at his men.

"You heard him, drop the boy!"

With little ceremony, Sōma was put on his feet, his calm expression belied by his clenched fists and notable breathing. It wasn't every day you were held by the trained security of the guy you'd just clocked. Despite this, he looked at the Tōtsuki head, who was still rubbing his jaw, although he now looked almost curious, as opposed to incensed, his calm having had the time to reassert itself.

"To be fair, I did warn you. Nakiri-san."

Sōma almost made the respectful address sound like an insult.

"I suppose you did. Tell me, Hideki, what is this boy's name?"

Hideki reached into his pocket, pulling out a smart phone. He tapped and swiped at it, eyes moving across the screen, before alighting on something.

"It appears he is…Yukihira Sōma. 1st year. Hails from…hmm? It says he attended some middle school in the inner city. It wasn't even a culinary institute! He's the infamous transfer student, Nakiri-sama."

Azami made a noise, as if he'd understood something.

"I see. Well then, Yukihira Sōma. I applaud you for making what was perhaps the most foolish mistake you'll ever have the misfortune to make. You're immediately expelled from Tōtsuki. Furthermore, assault charges will be filed. I'll do you the service of not calling the police and having you arrested, but you can expect them to contact you tomorrow morning. I'll leave you the night to pack your things."

With each word, Sōma felt his heart drop a bit more. Even he knew that punching the rich asshole director of his school was a dumb idea. But every word out of the darkly dressed man's mouth had just made him more and more angry, and by the time he'd told him to leave, it felt like Sōma had blinked and found his hand outstretched, his knuckles aching.

 _Calm down Sōma. Think. There has to be something you can do here._

His usual confidence had almost left him though. It was taking everything he had to appear as nonchalant as he did and even then, it was only an instinctive reaction. He'd learnt long ago that you couldn't give your opponent anything to work with, in cooking or otherwise. It was important that they not know how much they made you sweat, else they'd hop on that weakness.

 _And if there's anyone who'd shred me at the first sign of weakness, it'd be this man._

So maybe he'd just have to show him that he was strong…would that work?

"I don't think I'll be needing the night, Nakiri-san."

Azami smiled coldly.

"So you plan to leave right now then? How expedient of you."

"Nah, it's not that. I just figured…as the headmaster of Tōtsuki, I'm sure you wouldn't mind participating in a Shokugeki with me."

Sōma had said the words with a calm he didn't feel, but the effect was immediate, though not the one he'd hoped for.

The security force surrounding them chuckled. The laughter was low and controlled, but the mirth was very real. Hideki looked like he was only restraining himself out of professionalism and respect for his proximity to his employer. Azami was too dignified to respond vocally, but his demeanor said it all.

 _Unacceptable_

"As even the dullest rock at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy would know, shokugekis require stakes. Stakes acceptable by both parties. And I'm afraid that there's nothing you could offer me that would satisfy my desire to see you swiftly and brutally punished."

Sōma felt his face twitch, barely a movement, centered near his left eye. It was a sign he'd grown familiar with, although it probably looked like nothing to an outside observer. He was reaching the end of his rope. He had no cards in his hand, and he was all in on a pair of twos.

"Actually."

Sōma cursed at the way his heart jumped and his eyes snapped up to stare into Azami's. Those cold, shark-like eyes stared back, with a close lipped smile that could only be called predatory.

"There may be a way out of this for you after all."

Sōma cocked an eyebrow, the gesture overly nonchalant. He folded his hands in a futile attempt to hide their trembling.

"I'm listening."

High above the tension below, a single tile shifted slightly, unnoticed.

* * *

"And that's all I got to see."

Isshiki Satoshi stared out at the people before him, the current residents of the Polar Star Dormitory.

Their faces were in varied states of shock as they stared at the calm visage of the seventh seat of the Elite Ten. He stood before them in nothing but an apron, while wearing a serious frown. These were two parts of Isshiki Satoshi that weren't often seen together.

He'd left the party to search out Yukihira Sōma when he'd heard the sound of cars pulling up. Several cars. And he'd witnessed the confrontation between the two prideful men, hiding himself in the crawlspace as was his wont as things grew heated. He didn't know if Sōma would need a witness when this was all said and done. There was no telling what sort of thing Nakiri Azami would do to his friend while he thought there was no one around to stop him.

He'd seen Sōma get expelled, before Azami dangled his last hope before him, like a keychain before a cat. He hadn't been able to hear much else, as they left the building soon after, but he knew that Azami had asked Sōma to come with him, and that he'd went willingly.

Erina's face was ashen, as she stared at her fellow council member, who looked back at her placidly. He wasn't blaming her, per se, but he also wasn't naïve enough to think that any of this would've occurred without her presence, and this knowledge showed on his face.

He said nothing, however, and merely turned, once more clad in the suit he'd been wearing earlier in the day. Whereas his rapid costume changes were usually a thing of levity, there was nothing worth joking about. Not now.

Ryoko and Yuki were conversing quietly, their faces mirror images of nervousness. Marui was listening to the conversation, not participating but clearly just as worried. Megumi was staring off into space, her face blank as if someone needed to hit her reset button. She idly traced a kanji character on her hand, over and over.

"Erina-chan. Do you have your father's contact information?"

Erina started, as if surprised she was being addressed. Isshiki looked back at her imploringly and she looked away.

"I…I do. Let me just get my phone."

"Thank you. Hurry, please."

His words were short, and his tone was clipped. If Erina noticed, she didn't react as she got up and walked out, heading towards the room she'd been allotted. Once her gowned figure left the doorway, Yuki turned to Isshiki, the annoyance plain on her face.

"Isshiki-senpai! Why are you being so mean?"

He turned to look at his _kouhai_ , his expression unchanging.

"I can't help it, Yuki-chan. Erina's brought her problems straight to our doorstep, and now one of our own is paying the price for it."

Yuki's cheeks puffed out as she squinted, anger glinting in her eyes.

"It's not her fault, Isshiki-senpai! No one told Sōma-kun to punch the frigging director, that Nakiri Azami is just-"

"I know." He said, cutting her off. "This isn't about blame, Yuki-chan. This is about cause and effect. And Erina is undoubtedly the root cause for such a thing. It's not her fault, by any means, but…"

Isshiki sighed.

"I can't help but be a bit unhappy with her, that's all."

The topic of their conversation walked back into the room, and Yuki bit her tongue, glaring at the older student as Erina walked forward, her face even more conflicted than it had been before.

"Erina-chii. Are you okay?" Ryoko asked worriedly.

In response, she held her phone out to Isshiki, who took it and looked at the screen. His eyes widened a fraction, but his frown deepened.

"It's a text. From Sōma-kun."

 _Nakiri. Your old man is letting me use his phone to send you a message. It's Sōma. Please let the rest of the guys know that I am fine and to check their phones, if they haven't already. I won't be returning to the dorm for a bit. I may even be out of Tōtsuki for a while…but I will come back. For sure. Tell them that you'll take care of my duties there while I'm gone. I'm entrusting my friends and my dorm to you. I can't make you admit that my food is delicious without the support of that place and those people. So keep them safe for me._

If she'd been more herself, Erina would've been furious at the presumption displayed by the transfer student. How dare he assume she would do all of his work while he left? But she wasn't mad at all, she actually felt…grateful. It felt like she was getting his approval to stay here, in this place, away from her father.

Almost as if prompted, Tadakoro Megumi's phone buzzed in her pocket, rousing her from her repetitive, blank state. She dug around in her dress pocket, retrieving the device before looking at the screen.

"It's from Sōma-kun."

She read it over silently, her eyes widening with each scroll downwards. Her cheeks started to turn red and tears formed in her eyes. Without a word, she let out a choked cry and ran from the room.

"Tadakoro!"

She ignored Isshiki's call and they could hear her slippers slapping at the floor as she fled the dining room, and up the stairs. A short while later, a slam was heard, Isshiki glanced upwards worriedly, before looking over at Sakaki Ryoko.

"Ryoko-kun. Maybe you should…"

With a wave, Ryoko nodded, understanding Isshiki's intent before she walked off, pulling at Yuki's sleeve, the blonde looking almost as distressed as their blue haired friend. They exited the room, following in Megumi's path, albeit at a much quieter pace, quietly discussing what they could do to help their troubled dorm mate.

Isshiki's own phone went off right then, his _Harvest Moon_ text tone jingling, and he pulled out his phone, already having a feeling about who the message was going to be from.

 _Isshiki-senpai. Look. I had a…talk with Nakiri's dad. Our new headmaster. I'm heading away for a while. I don't know when I'll be back to the dorm. Or Tōtsuki. But I will be back, one way or the other. I'm just sorry I'm not there to ask this of you in person: please watch over the dorm. Heh, I guess I don't need to ask you to do that really. You probably already will. But here's something I do need to ask you then:_

 _Please watch over Nakiri. I'm leaving her to you and the rest, and I expect you all to get her to the point where she is comfortable enough with herself and us 'commoners' to admit that my food is delicious. I refuse to accept disgusting as an answer (unless we're talking squid tentacles and honey!)_

 _I know that's a lot to ask of you, but I trust you and your naked apron can handle it, ne Isshiki-senpai?_

Isshiki closed the phone, stowing it in his pocket. He looked over at the honey blonde haired woman, his newest ward if his friend's words were to be believed. She still looked dazed, but she was slowly recovering as she spoke in quiet tones with Fumio, their dorm leader. The old lady was no stranger to comforting hurt youths, and her skills showed here, as she did what she could to calm the Nakiri heiress down.

 _For you, Sōma-kun, I suppose I'll have to. It'd be rude to deny someone's last requests._

Isshiki would've normally laughed at the off color joke, but he couldn't find the humor in it. It seemed a bit too real.

Ryoko and Yuki returned, much too quickly, and explained that Megumi refused to open her door. They could still hear her crying, but she refused to speak with them and wouldn't let them in. Isshiki looked over to their dorm mother, who was still in conversation with Erina, and decided to handle matters himself. He wasn't as close with Megumi as he was with some of his other freshman dorm mates, but they were all his precious _kouhai_ , one way or the other.

Not to mention, Fumio was much too old to be climbing through the rafters the way he could. And he had a feeling that the little bluenette was going to be less than willing to open the door for anyone anytime soon.

* * *

After that eventful night, none of them heard from Yukihira Sōma again. Calls got sent straight to voicemail, and texts went unopened and unread. After a month, the number was disconnected entirely, making all attempts to contact him even more futile.

Nakiri Azami had halted his relentless pursuit to crush the individuality from Tōtsuki, but made it clear that his opinions had not changed. He remained close lipped about any specifics, and a frustratingly small amount of information had been released to Tōtsuki at large, meaning the rumor mill churned, wild theories being the norm rather than the exception.

Nakiri Erina stayed on as a resident of the Polar Star Dormitory, eventually being granted permanent lodging after passing the standard entrance exam with flying colors, evidenced by Fumio's…enthusiastic response to her dish. She was worked into the chore rotation, getting off to a rocky start as she was forced to do manual labor for the first time in her life. Any cook worth their salt could clean plates and scrub pots, but that was a far cry from being able to till land and pluck a chicken.

The other members of Polar Star were patient with her, and helped ease her into things, although they also butted heads with her more than once, unintimidated by her fame after a few short weeks. It was to be expected, and they never disagreed over anything serious anyway, and Erina found that she honestly enjoyed her time spent helping Marui clean up after their celebrations, or minding the crops with the former seventh seat. She'd even roped Alice, who was almost just as clueless about the real world as she was, into assisting her with a few of their chores, and it was soon a common sight to see the Nakiri duo struggling to work a fermentation still or herd animals through the halls without Fumio's notice.

No one brought up how strange it was that Nakiri Azami had made no move to reclaim his daughter in the almost-full semester she'd been with them. He'd remained a distant figure to both them, and Tōtsuki on the whole, and the residents of Polar Star were glad for it.

In fact, it was as if Central itself had also gone into hibernation with their leader. The students still attended classes, their Central pins proudly displayed, but their activities as a body had stopped, for all intents and purposes, and any questioners were politely told to shut up and keep it moving. All research societies had been allowed to remain as they were, and the curriculum itself hadn't suffered any major changes.

It was the calm before the storm, and the end of that calm was made known when a new class, Diversity through Cooking and Travel, popped up on everyone's schedule one day, a little more than three months after Azami's coup. It was a course about bringing various aspects of cuisine from all over the planet together in new, harmonious ways. It sought to break down the walls that separated the various food cultures of the world, while still allowing each style of cooking to shine through. It was a wonderful class that most of the students enjoyed, thanks in no small part to the quirky, newly hired professor that ran it.

"Saiba-sama!"

Megumi bumped into Erina, almost throwing both girls over in the threshold of the classroom. She looked over the frozen girl's shoulder, wondering what had her so entranced, but she then froze as well.

Standing before them, looking almost uncomfortably out of place in a high collared chef's uniform, was a tall man with long, dark brown hair, slung into a ponytail. A man once hailed as the Asura, and a former second seat of the Elite Ten. Yukihira Joichiro. He smiled at the two girls and waved, beckoning them inside.

Megumi needed no further prodding and she tore past Erina, who barely noticed as she stared at the form of her long lost idol. She bowed hurriedly, before looking up at the man.

"Greetings Joichiro-senpai."

" _Ohayo_ , Tadakoro-chan is it? How are you?"

He looked over at the blonde that still stood frozen in the door way, where she was noticeably holding up the procession of students trying to get in. However, her reputation as both the Tenth seat of the Elite Ten and God's Tongue kept anyone from doing anything more than standing in line behind her.

"Erina-chan, long time no see. You're holding up traffic, you know. Come in."

At his words, Erina flushed, moving aside to let in her fellow students as she walked to the front to stand beside Megumi.

"Joichiro-senpai. If it wouldn't trouble you, would you perhaps know…"

He held up a hand, cutting Megumi's sentence short.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions that have nothing to do with class, right Tadokoro-chan?"

The short girl nodded, trying and failing to not seem desperate.

"I'm sure you probably have questions as well, Erina-chan. But now isn't the time. How about we speak after the school day's over, alright? Meet me in my office. It's two doors down from this room."

It was plain to anyone that Megumi wasn't satisfied with the dismissal, but Erina stepped in, shushing her friend, and pulled her to their station. She didn't know what it was her friend had to ask the man, but if he asked them to wait, it could wait.

They were halfway through the class before it even occurred to Erina to ask her friend how she knew her idol.

And that was how Nakiri Erina learnt her childhood crush was Yukihira Sōma's father.

It took her the rest of the day to come to grips with the realization, which had added yet another new dimension to her complicated feelings towards the red head, but by the time she and Megumi stood before their new teacher's office door, she felt she'd gotten a handle on her emotions.

This handle went flying out of the window as she opened the door and saw a scene she would've never expected. Her heart leapt into her throat as she stared, feeling a familiar conflicting set of urges. Obedience mixed with fear.

Joichiro sat behind a desk, leaning fully back on the chair with his feet propped up, as he eyed the two men at the window. Her father looked over at her, idly noting her presence, before looking away, returning to the quiet conversation he was having near the window with one Yukihira Sōma.

Sōma looked different from the last time Erina had seen him. The young man had discarded the _Yukihira Restaurant_ shirt that was his trademark, and instead wore a dark blue button up shirt, with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows, exposing his wrists which were both free of the white cloth that usually adorned one of them. A simple, silver chain was wrapped around his left wrist instead, although it seemed functional as opposed to decorative.

"Sōma-kun…"

Megumi's voice was hushed, but it was enough to make all conversation in the room stop. The boy in question turned, and it was then that Erina saw that it was more than his clothes that had changed.

Sōma's golden eyes were still the same bright yellow shade, but they reflected none of the cheer and goodwill that his gaze had previously held. The orbs were cold and unflinching, almost polar opposite to what they'd been before. It was a wonder that these were the same eyes at all. His face was blank but polite, distinctly neutral but oddly inhuman. It took a second for Erina to place why the expression seemed so terrifyingly familiar.

"Tadokoro-san. It's rude to interrupt when others are speaking."

His voice was curt and soft, his words polite on the surface but with none of the inherent respect from someone who was truly trying to be deferential. It was a perfectly pale mimicry of the way Nakiri Azami spoke to those he considered worthless.

Sōma turned back to the headmaster.

"I apologize for my acquaintance's breach of courtesy, Nakiri-sama."

Azami smiled softly.

"That's quite alright, Sōma-kun. We shall continue this discussion later, they're our guests after all. It would be unseemly to keep them waiting."

With a nod, Sōma turned to face his father, who still sat behind his desk, the very picture of disinterest as he watched his son converse with his former school mate. At the unspoken cue, the Tōtsuki professor put his feet down, swiveling to face the two stunned students. He smiled gently

"Tadokoro chan, would you mind going for a walk with Sōma? I'm sure you'd love to reconnect with him. Azami-san and I need to have a word with Erina."

Both girls started, before looking at each other with concern, albeit for very different reasons. Megumi was clearly torn. She wanted to be there for her friend, but she also desperately needed answers from their formerly missing classmate.

"It's fine, Megumi-chan. I'll be ok. Go on. And don't let that idiot off easy."

The gibe was delivered with no heat, and Erina thought she saw a ghost of a smile on the younger Yukihira's face before it settled back into that disconcerting mask. Sōma walked towards the door and opened it, gesturing for Megumi to follow him and, with one last backwards glance, she did.

Erina tried to hide how her heart jumped as the door's catch slid into place, but she doubted it fooled either of the men before her. Joichiro cleared his throat and pushed a piece of paper towards her as her father resumed gazing out of the window, her pulse slowing a bit as she wasn't being subjected directly to his gaze.

Erina looked at the paper questioningly. It was some sort of notice, branded with both the official Tōtsuki seal and her father's own signature.

She picked it up, reading through it briefly, before stopping and reading through it again. Her hands gripped the paper, threatening to tear it as she took in what it said.

 _By the decree of the director of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, Nakiri Erina is dismissed from her position as the Tenth Seat of the Elite Ten Council. Her replacement is to be determined by the director, pending the approval of a body made up of the remaining Elite Ten Council members._

 _Any and all duties associated with the tenth seat will be summarily handled by the remainder of the Council and the Central Administration. All privileges, including any and all facilities, tools and budget allocation awarded to Nakiri Erina during her tenure as the Tenth Seat shall be immediately revoked and repossessed by the Central Administration. This includes anything awarded to Nakiri Erina as per the terms of a Shokugeki in which her seat, or privileges/benefits associated with her seat, were held as stakes._

 _Effective immediately._

Erina dropped the paper, the official document dropping to the ground, partially crumpled from where her fingernails had bit into the edges. She felt a familiar ice start to creep into the edges of her mind, but she pushed it back with practiced ease. She looked down at her hands and traced a kanji on the left one, before bringing it to her lips.

After a few iterations, she felt markedly calmer and she looked up at the sympathetic face of her newest professor.

"Erina-chan. I know this must be quite surprising. Are you alright?"

Erina nodded, folding her hands together primly as she sought to reclaim the regal air she'd had little reason to use recently. She closed her eyes and sighed, before looking at her father, her purple gaze set on his coated back.

"What is the meaning of this, _tou-san_?"

Azami looked away from the window, as he turned to face his daughter. He stared at her, saying nothing as the seconds ticked on, but she held his gaze, where before she would've averted her eyes in deference.

After a minute of impromptu staring, Azami sighed before striding past, not even looking at where his child sat.

"Saiba-senpai. I leave the rest to you."

Those were the only words he said, before leaving the office. Erina waited until she could no longer hear the scuff of his shoes on the tile outside, before sighing. She leaned back in the chair, clutching her hands to her chest as she tried to calm down, her heart racing inside of her chest. That minute of staring had felt like it was never going to end, each second bringing more and more ice into her psyche. She traced a kanji into her hands before 'eating' it about three times, before she finally looked up, into the bemused face of Joichiro.

"Done yet, Erina-chan?" he asked, a note of teasing in his voice, and she blushed, averting her eyes.

"Y-Yes, Saiba-sama."

The chef sighed, before leaning forward and bopping her lightly on the head, eliciting an 'eep' from the young heiress.

"It's been a while since I've had to tell you this, but stop with all that -sama crap. I'm nobody special, Erina- _hime_." He said, smiling at her. "Besides, I go by Yukihira now. So Yukihira-san, or even just Joichiro, is more than fine."

Erina blushed even deeper at the use of his childhood nickname for her, and she looked away from him, turning up her nose.

"Well…be that as it may. What exactly is going on here, Sai-Joichiro-senpai?"

Joichiro's face lost some of his levity and he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Well…things happened. I'm sure you're aware of that little dust up between my boy and your old man a couple of months ago, right?"

Erina nodded, still finding it a bit hard to reconcile the image of her idol being the father to her…whatever Sōma was to her.

"Well, Sōma called me a couple of days after that. Gave me the breakdown, and told me he was calling in a favor. Some other stuff happened and, after speaking to Nakamura, I agreed to teach here for a year or so." He shrugged. "As far as why you were dismissed from the Elite Ten, I really couldn't say. Your dad didn't really give me all of the details."

The room was silent.

"Joichiro-senpai…with all due respect. You didn't really explain anything."

Joichiro grinned cheekily.

"It would seem that way, huh? I'd like to tell you more, but I'm kind of bound by my word here. You'll have to ask Sōma or Nakamura for more details."

Both of those prospects didn't particular appeal to the young woman but, even as a child, she remembered how frustratingly enigmatic her former house chef could be about the simplest things sometimes, and she could tell she wasn't going to be getting anything more on the subject here.

Deciding to switch gears, Erina asked.

"Joichiro-senpai. Now that you're going to be here for a while, do you think…would you perhaps be willing to…"

A knock at the door interrupted the question and Joichiro gestured for Erina to pause.

"Come in!"

The door opened, admitting the figures of Megumi and Sōma. While the boy's demeanor appeared unchanged, Megumi's shoulders were noticeably slumped, and she looked to be either on the verge of tears, or just having finished crying. She walked forward into the office on shaky legs, looking as if she'd fall over any second.

"Megumi-chan!"

Erina got up, walking over in brisk strokes to her friend. She tried to take the girl's hands in her own, the way Hisako often did for her, but Megumi warded her off, stepping back.

"I'm fine, Erina-chan. Don't."

A sob escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes.

"Don't worry. Let's just go home…please."

Erina looked her friend over with concern, wanting to reach out and comfort her but wary of being rebuffed. She turned to Joichiro, who was eyeing Megumi with an inscrutable expression on his face.

"Joichiro-senpai. My sincerest apologies…"

Joichiro looked at Erina, waving her apology away.

"It's fine, Erina-chan. Your friend needs you. We can always talk later, go ahead."

He smiled at her, the familiar yet almost forgotten gesture warming her.

"After all, I'll be here for a while."

Erina smiled at the man and nodded, before ushering Tadokoro towards the door. It was then she noticed that Sōma had already taken his leave, his exit as silent and mysterious as his sudden reappearance at Tōtsuki. She had so many questions for him, yet he'd left without so much as a single greeting or courtesy. She glared at nothing, walking alongside her friend as they left the building.

Even with the sudden change in personality, he still found ways to piss her off.

On the walk back to Polar Star, the pair found themselves passing several students, who all seemed to be rushing towards the auditorium. After passing the eighth or ninth group, Erina turned to Megumi.

"Megumi-chan, do you have any idea what's going on?"

Megumi still looked despondent, and Erina was forced to repeat her question as she gently nudged her friend, bringing her back to reality.

"Oh, sorry Erina-chan…Oh!"

Megumi's eyes widened as she slapped her cheeks, her surprise momentarily overtaking her somber mood.

"Sōma-kun mentioned to me that there would be an announcement in the main hall at 4:30. What time is it now?"

Erina took out her phone, thumbing the screen to bring up the display.

"It's 4:15. We can make it pretty easily. Should we go?"

Megumi's previous mood resurfaced and Erina found the blue haired girl dodging her gaze yet again.

"He said…he said we shouldn't miss it. He said it was definitely something Nakiri needed to see."

Erina found herself a bit unsettled by the way her friend said her name. It wasn't quite hostile, but it also wasn't said with the friendliness she'd grown accustomed to from the Hospitality chef.

"Well, alright then. Let's go. Maybe this has something to do with why I was released from the Elite Ten."

Megumi looked confused, and Erina gave her a brief rundown of what had happened in Joichiro's office. Megumi was surprised, and asked if she'd done something to warrant it, and if she thought that this had something to do with the dorm. Erina could only shrug. She had no idea why she'd been dismissed, but it didn't sit right with her. She was still the best cook in their year, and had the credentials to verify it, along with her Shokugeki record, which practically spoke for itself.

To be honest, she would be more dismayed if she wasn't so honestly confused. She just didn't know why her father would dismiss her. Was it simple, petty retaliation for her continued defiance? That didn't seem to fit. Her father always had a reason for what he did, and very rarely were those reasons based in short sighted emotional decisions. He didn't have the time to spare on such plebian pursuits of vengeance, she was sure. He hadn't even made any overtures for her to return to the Nakiri manor.

Which had struck her as more than a little odd, admittedly, but she found herself thankful for each day that passed without his interference. She was loathe to question good fortune. Everyone knew that was the quickest way to get it repealed.

They found seats near the stage, people more than willing to make space for the woman known as God's Tongue. No one questioned why she was sitting with the rest of the students, as opposed to being in one of the boxes reserved for the Elite.

As they settled in, the lights dimmed and the figure of Nakiri Azami walked on stage, poised and confident, as he always was. All chatter silenced immediately as the head of Tōtsuki took the podium and he cleared his throat gently, before stepping forward.

"Greetings treasured students. I trust you are doing well. As most of you know, I swore to turn Tōtsuki into an institution that treated every student equally. Where each and every person who was willing to listen and cooperate with the administration would come to learn how to cook on par with the students of the Elite Ten council. I promised an end to useless confrontations and needless expulsions. Anyone willing to follow the guidelines laid before them would be able to excel to new heights, regardless of where they started."

Azami extended his hands, sweeping them over the assembled crowd.

"The ideal vision I sought to create for all of you couldn't be achieved in a day. I saw that, in the widespread rebellion that was ignited by my abolition of the various research societies and seminars on our campus. Make no mistake, I meant every single word of my previous declaration, but I grew to realize that rushing would only cause more strife, more chaos. I needed to give you, the students of Tōtsuki, time to process my words. Time to enjoy the frivolities that would be sacrificed to pave the path that would allow you to truly shine, as the jewels of Tōtsuki under my guidance. So I waited."

Azami paused, staring out at the crowd, where no one dared to speak. He smiled warmly and rested his hands on the podium.

"I worked with Tōtsuki's Elite. I sat in meeting after meeting, in an effort to really learn about you, the students I'd only recently met, because I couldn't understand why you would be so vehemently against equality and universal success. And through these efforts, I realized that I needed to show you that I was speaking the truth. I needed to give all of you an example of what I was trying to lead you towards, an example that demonstrated Central's ideals and the inherent benefits of following them."

The mood in the auditorium grew tense, as people started to murmur. What could the headmaster have possibly prepared that would convince all of them to sacrifice their individuality, their very cooking spirit? It didn't seem like such a thing was possible.

As if hearing each and every whisper, Azami's smile widened and he chuckled softly.

"Your doubts are well founded, I assure you. So perhaps I'll just show you outright."

Azami turned, gesturing offstage.

A familiar figure walked onto the stage, the assembled crowd bursting into confused whispers as they watched him walk to stand beside Azami, who rested a hand on his shoulder, almost paternally.

Standing before the assembled crowd, in a crisp Tōtsuki uniform with a Central pin stuck on his lapel, was Yukihira Sōma.

Azami let the whispering continue for a few seconds, before raising his hand, a gesture that silenced the crowd almost immediately. None were fooled by their headmaster's kind veneer, and they knew that disrespecting him could get one thrown out of Tōtsuki much quicker than any Shokugeki.

"Some of you may recognize the young man before us, but for those of you who don't, I present Yukihira Sōma. Sōma was somewhat notorious throughout the school some time ago, as being the only student to transfer into Tōtsuki from outside of our illustrious middle school program in this year's freshman class. What most of you don't know, however, is that Sōma only got in due to a filing error in our system."

The students' expressions ranged from shock to anger to confusion. There were many in the crowd who now felt justified in their dislike for the arrogant transfer student, and some even laughed, while others cursed at the boy being blessed by some secretary's mistake. Others were confused, discussing the situation amongst themselves.

"He quickly found himself, underprepared for our rigorous curriculum as he was, overwhelmed and on the verge of expulsion. Was there any other fate for him? He was a boy from some insignificant diner in some insignificant town. He'd only made it this far due to the soft hearts of both our professors and the friends he'd managed to acquire in his time here."

Erina gripped her hands tightly as she watched her father speak. She was angry at him, but she found that she was even angrier at herself. She'd felt much the same way about Sōma before she'd started staying at the Polar Star Dorm, all because she'd refused to admit to herself that his baseborn cooking had actually impressed her God's Tongue. Her father's twisting of events only reminded her of how she used to be and, while she still didn't think he was as good as he pretended to be, she could see that the red headed chef more than deserved his spot at Tōtsuki. She could more than understand why her grandfather had gone over her head and accepted the young man.

The crowd spoke quietly amongst themselves, the mood primarily one of uncertainty. Hadn't this boy not only come second in the Autumn Election, but unanimously beaten the ninth seat of the Elite Ten? It was difficult to believe that, in an environment as cutthroat as Tōtsuki's, he'd been able to accomplish so much on charm alone.

"I saw an opportunity in this young man. A chance to show that the ideals of Central would work for anyone who was willing to try. I gave Sōma this chance. I told him that, in the old Tōtsuki, he would've just been expelled. But that I refused to let anyone, even someone who didn't rightly deserve to be here, get thrown away like common trash. I let him work closely with Central, using him to refine the curriculum I would one day enforce throughout the school."

Azami smiled, no joy in his expression. It was borderline mocking in its insincerity.

"I told him that, if he proved successful, he would rejoin the student body as if he'd never left as another average student. But that didn't happen."

Azami paused again. He let the silence drag on for a few seconds, eyeing each section of the crowd.

"What Sōma-kun did was beyond anything I could've ever believed. He is living proof that the ideals of Central are the future of Tōtsuki. In three short months, they've transformed a boy who was barely more than a short order cook into a chef so skilled that he found himself a seat on the Elite Ten."

Shocked gasps rang throughout the crowd.

"That's right. Students of Tōtsuki, I present before you, Yukihira Sōma. The tenth seat of the Elite Ten Council."

The shock turned into outrage, and a few students stood up, heedless of Azami's ire. He allowed the noise to build, instead stepping to the side with a smile akin to a shark eyeing scores of little fish.

Sōma stepped up to the podium, the outrage only increasing as he eyed the assembled student body with a flat stare. He tapped the mic once or twice, and leaned forward, in a distorted reflection of what he'd done almost a year ago.

He said something that couldn't be heard over the noise, so he took the mic from its stand and merely held it near one of the speakers.

The feedback was instantaneous, and a loud _screech_ rang out.

He put the mic back into its stand and resumed staring out at the crowd, who'd been stunned into silence by the loud auditory assault.

"Greetings."

Sōma's greetings went unanswered, and he continued without pause.

"Firstly, I must apologize to all of you, students of our esteemed academy."

He bowed his head, the gesture shocking the few in the crowd that actually knew the young man. It said something that they were more surprised by something so simple than they were by the previous announcement.

"I was let into Tōtsuki due to a paperwork mishap and, instead of clearing it up, I selfishly remained here where I did not belong. I thought myself lucky and fortunate to have a chance to being among the best cooks in the world, when in reality, I just stole the place of someone who rightfully deserved it. I couldn't handle the advanced work here, and I begged my friends to help me. I dragged down their work by asking them to indulge my mediocrity, and I'm sorry to them for putting them through that."

The crowd had grown silent, transfixed by the humble, quiet figure that had replaced the fiery Yukihira Sōma that had called them all stepping stones.

"I found a second chance to do right by you all with Nakiri-sama and Central. They gave me the tools I needed to succeed, and made me, a no name cook from a no name diner, a chef that could compete with the best. I owe them everything, and I sought to repay them in full, so Nakiri-sama offered me a chance to do just that. From this moment forward, I will be acting as Central's premier enforcer."

Complete and utter silence.

"Please don't let the name influence your perception of me. It's only representative. Let me explain: Central seeks to give Tōtsuki students the best culinary education they can give. On all fronts, be they in fine dining or fast food. As you can imagine, there's simply no way to teach everyone every single cooking discipline, so we leave it to you, the students, to prove the validity of your respective specialties."

Sōma pointed out at the crowd, almost mirroring the declaration he'd made against them oh so long ago.

"Instead of dissolving all research societies and seminars outright, you will all have a chance to prove yourselves as worthy of being part of Central's core curriculum, and Tōtsuki as a whole. This will be done via Shokugeki."

The word rang out, its importance clear.

"Any and all leaders of any self-governed entities looking to remain independent will face me. This includes all Research Societies. Seminars."

Erina could've sworn he looked directly at them as he said his last sentence.

"And the Polar Star Dormitory."

Sōma paused, looking at the crowd, who seemed decidedly split. Their contempt for Sōma at war with the glowing recommendation he'd just received from the head of Tōtsuki. He swept his gaze over the crowd once, then twice. As if searching for something.

"Prove yourselves worthy of Central. Worthy of Nakiri-sama. And worthy of me. Only then will you be welcome in our new world."

Erina stared at the dark clad figure of a boy she thought she'd known. She watched as he stepped away from the podium, exiting the stage alongside her father. She listened as the dispersing crowd murmured around her, conversation flowing back and forth as people discussed the newest development with varying degrees of trepidation.

She felt her hands shake and she looked down at them. Was she…afraid? Sad? Guilty?

"Megumi-chan. What are we going to do?"

But when Erina looked up, she found the seat beside her empty. And she wondered if her friend blamed her for what happened to her best friend.

She wouldn't even have the heart to deny it. She certainly felt like it was all her fault, somehow.


	2. Chapter 2

Megumi sat in her room, hugging her knees as she stared listlessly at the far wall. She felt guilty for running out and leaving Erina at the hall, but she just couldn't take it. She couldn't handle seeing what Sōma had become. What he'd turned into.

She pulled out her cellphone, opening the screen and scrolling to a familiar message thread. It was archived, the number no longer in service, but she'd kept the contents and, after Sōma had left, she'd looked at it almost every day.

 _Tadokoro…you may have heard by the time you read this, but I'm leaving. I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I'll be back, don't worry. I've asked the rest of the guys to help look after Nakiri, and I'd like you to pitch in with her too. Get her used to being something other than a sheltered noble, ok? Make her work for it! Show her what it means to be a real member of the Polar Star Dorm. I wish I could say goodbye in person. You were…you meant a lot to me._

It was that message that had sent Megumi off in tears what felt like forever ago. The message she'd received after the abrupt departure of her treasured friend. She'd sent a response, struggling to read her phone screen through her teary vision, as she ignored the plaintive calls of Ryoko and Yuki at her door.

 _Sōma-kun…why are you doing this? What's going on? Why did you hit the director?_

She waited, watching her phone, hopping it would buzz and light up, but it stayed dark, and she continued to cry, until she found that she wasn't alone in her room anymore. Isshiki had appeared, as if by magic, and his arms were open and inviting. She hadn't hesitated, throwing her arms around him and crying tearfully into his chest as he stroked her back. She'd asked him to tell her that this wasn't happening, that this wasn't real, but he'd had nothing to say. He refused to do her the disservice of lying.

Megumi's text went unanswered and she later found that the rest of her classmates had met with similar results, so she had resigned herself to the same treatment. But, two days afterwards, she got a call while she was on her way to class. The number was unfamiliar but she picked it up, unfailingly polite.

" _Ohayo gozaimasu,_ Tadokoro Megumi speaking."

"Tadokoro-chan."

Megumi gasped, the voice on the line unmistakable.

"Sōma-kun! Where are you, how are you doing? We've all been so-"

"Tadokoro-chan."

She paused, her curiosity stemmed by both the interruption and the tone of her friend's voice. She'd never heard him sound so…defeated. She knew her friend could be a sore loser at times, but even at his lowest point, he was still always ready for a rematch. Even his loss to Hayama had only made him want to work even harder. He saw each day as an opportunity to surpass the Sōma of yesterday, to push his cooking to unexpectedly new heights.

But this…there was none of the usual defiance in Sōma's tone. He simply sounded weary and resigned, as if he'd finally found something he couldn't beat with sheer tenacity and willpower. The thought was unthinkable to Megumi. To her, there wasn't anything in this world that could keep Sōma down for long. He'd just come back twice as fierce and three times as inventive and find a way to win. This was something she'd started to believe ever since her first class with the Yukihira chef, and her conviction had only grown stronger with time.

Now…she found herself doubting that belief. And it terrified her.

"Listen…I…."

He sighed, the noise breaking her heart just a little bit.

"I can't explain everything. Not now. Maybe…maybe someday. But I needed to talk to you. I just needed to tell you some things, at least. I know it wouldn't make up for what happened, but…"

"No, Sōma-kun! No need to apologize." She hurriedly assured him. "You haven't done anything wrong."

Sōma laughed, the sound a shell of what it used to be.

"Not yet, maybe. I wonder if you'll say that in the future."

The dry tone of his voice made the cryptic statement all the more ominous, and Megumi felt like she was missing something. Something very important. But she didn't have the heart to pressure her friend. Not when she had only just gotten him back into her life.

"So, Sōma-kun, is this your new cell number then?"

"Eh?"

The boy paused, before laughing. A sound of genuine warmth that made Megumi miss him all the more, even as it lightened her heart. She was glad to know that some things didn't change.

"No, no. There'd be no point saving this number, Tadokoro-chan. I'm not supposed to be on it as it is. I'm sure I'll pay for this call later."

Tadokoro blinked, nonplussed.

"Oh…are you wasting someone else's minutes or something?"

Sōma sighed again, the noise causing the earpiece to crackle.

"Not exactly. Anyway, it's not important. I don't know how much time I'll have on the phone, and there's some things I need to tell you. Things are gonna be quiet at Tōtsuki for a while. I can't get into the details, but there's going to be a calm period. Central's gonna ease up and go silent for…I'm not sure, maybe a month? But after that, things are going to be…different."

Megumi found herself hanging onto her friend's every word. She'd never heard him sound so serious.

"I don't know what form things will take, but the Azami administration's going to come out swinging twice as hard for anyone who's not willing to bend. I need you to-"

"Hey, what're you doing?"

A third voice came on the line, startling Megumi. It was the gruff voice of a man, who seemed none too pleased.

"Ah, _gomenasai_ Tadokoro-chan. My time's up it seems. And I didn't even really get to explain anything. Well, it was good speaking to you, you were always-"

The line went dead, and Megumi looked at her phone frantically.

"Sōma-kun? Sōma-kun?!"

'Call Disconnected' blared at her in bright red text. She tried calling the number back, but the call refused to go through, claiming that the number was invalid.

That oddly cryptic, three minute phone call was the last time she'd spoken to Sōma. Until today, that is.

A knock on her door roused Megumi from her thoughts. She rubbed at her eyes, furiously scrubbing away any stray tears before getting up and opening the door.

She was met by the disgruntled face of the former tenth seat. She had her arms folded and was biting her lip in that way that Megumi had come to learn meant that she was annoyed, but couldn't decide if she was the one at fault or misunderstanding something.

"You left me."

Megumi averted her eyes, shifting behind the door frame a bit.

"I…I know. Sorry, Erina-chan. I just…I couldn't stay."

What she left unsaid was that it had more to do with how she felt towards Erina than the previously absent red head.

Erina looked at her friend questioningly, trying to catch her gaze but even she was able to tell when someone was purposely avoiding meeting her eyes. She resisted the urge to snap at the girl for her avoidance, fighting against her tempestuous nature. She'd learnt restraint, among other things, during her time among the 'commoners' of Polar Star.

Here, she wasn't Erina Nakiri, God's Tongue and heiress to the most prominent family of the culinary world.

Well, that wasn't completely true. She certainly still WAS all of those things (She had only to think of what had become known as "Tasting Tuesdays" to be uncomfortably aware of that fact)

It was more that here, in these walls, those things didn't matter. Here, she was treated as simply Erina, for better or worse. And Erina the Polar Star Dormitory resident wasn't above anyone. And she certainly wasn't going to snap at a friend who'd done nothing wrong just because she was feeling insecure.

Instead, she smiled, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder, causing her to start.

"It's alright, Megumi-chan. I know seeing Yukihira-kun like that must have been difficult. It definitely caught me off guard."

Erina thought back to how he'd appeared on the stage. All calm and collected, yet devoid of all of the life that had made him so frustratingly…him.

"I wish we had more information. I really don't know why Yukihira-kun would just switch sides like that. It doesn't seem like the type of thing he'd do at all. Right?"

She looked to her friend for confirmation, who nodded, still keeping her eyes on the floor.

"I can only assume it's part of some agenda Father has. Maybe through some deal to keep Sōma in Tōtsuki after what happened three months ago? But that still doesn't make sense. Sōma seemed like the type of guy who'd rather leave Tōtsuki before ever lining up with someone like my father."

Erina grasped her chin, looking to the sky as she closed her eyes.

"Yukihira...just what leverage does my father have over you?"

Distracted as she was, Erina was not prepared for the shove she received. It wasn't very forceful, barely more than a push, but it was still rather abrupt and it caused her to stumble backwards out of the doorway with a small yelp as she tried to not lose her footing. She looked up, only in time to catch the barest glimpse of Megumi's ponytails as she shut the door.

"Sorry Erina-chan. I really need to start working on Isane-sensei's homework. We'll talk more later, ok?"

The words were a bit muffled, as they came through the door, and Erina found herself more startled than anything else. She'd never seen Megumi push her away like this before, and the shift in behavior was more than a little concerning (and hurtful, though she'd never admit it). She reached out, knocking softly on the door.

"Megumi-chan, are you alright?"

"I'm…I'm fine, Erina-chan. I just really need to get a jump on this assignment. Thank you."

Erina tried to convince herself that her friend's voice sounded patchy because of the thick wood in between them.

"Well…okay. If you need anything, you know you can-"

"Just go."

The interruption wasn't very loud but it was forceful and snappish, two words that weren't often used to describe Tadokoro Megumi. Erina felt the guilt gnaw at her again, the raw tone in her friend's voice concerning her. She'd been hoping to talk to Megumi further about Sōma, and what they could do, but she could see that Megumi was in no mood for it.

She was desperate to question her further, to see if her suspicions were correct about whether Megumi did indeed blame her for what Sōma had become. But she couldn't bring herself to and so, with a muttered farewell, she left.

Heading towards the kitchen, lost in thought, Erina was almost bowled over by her cousin as she rounded a corner.

"Alice!" she cried, steadying the other Nakiri. She frowned, releasing her cousin's shoulders.

"You should really watch where you're going. If-"

"No time cousin!" Alice sang, grabbing Erina and dragging her. She ignored the blonde's protests and Erina found she could do little but follow along. When Alice got in a mood, it was best to just ride it out.

"What's the meaning of this?" she asked as she relented to being led like a child by her exuberant relative.

"It seems Sōma-kun is about to show whether he can actually back up all that talking he did today."

Erina found her interest peaked, and she snatched her sleeve from her cousin's grip, accelerating her pace to walk beside her, their steps taking them towards the main foyer.

"What do you mean Alice? What's going on?"

Alice turned to her cousin, a mixture of excitement and mirth in her eyes.

"Why, what else?"

 _Shokugeki_.

The two Nakiris entered the dining room, where the other residents had already pulled up chairs before the large TV. Most of their circle of friends had also shown up, drawn to the dorm by a desire for news on their erstwhile colleague in arms. Ikumi Mito was discussing something heatedly with Aldini Takumi, gesticulating at the screen, where the stock preliminary footage for Tōtsuki Shokugekis was playing.

Erina and Alice shuffled into the seats their respective aides had pulled up for them just in time for the footage to cut to a view of Urara Kawashima. The school idol smiled and waved, to cheers from the crowd and her adoring fans. She greeted them enthusiastically before diving straight into a recap of the events that led to why they were all here today.

It seemed Central was wasting no time, and had started processing the backlog of Shokugeki requests days ago, scheduling bouts in preparation for their 'awakening'. The first one up was the French Cuisine RS, one of Tōtsuki's more popular societies. French cuisine was renowned the world over, Tōtsuki being no exception, and it showed in the robust membership and activities of the research society.

The captain, a short girl with buns in her dark brown hair and a determined expression was Morino Naru. She hailed from Paris, and was considered one of the leading experts in French cuisine at Tōtsuki. While she had never been a part of the Elite Ten council, she had been a contender in the Autumn Elections of her own year, placing into the tournament itself before losing in the first round to Terunori Kuga. She was certainly a force to be reckoned with.

Sōma stared at her from across the floor, his golden gaze inscrutable. His arms were folded and he didn't react when the school idol had introduced him, ignoring the smattering of applause he'd received in contrast to Naru's round of cheering. It was clear who the crowd favorite was here today.

The boy wore a crisp, black chef's uniform that looked like it had never seen the light of day, let alone the inside of a kitchen. His hair was free in its usual mass of disheveled spikes, left unfettered with his white cooking head cloth conspicuously absent. With his polished shoes and straight posture completing the look, he was the picture of a professional chef. The only abnormality was the silver chain that hung in three snug loops around his left wrist.

Urura reminded the audience of the stakes; if the French Cuisine Research Society emerged victorious, they would remain on as a Central approved organization, with a greatly increased budget and additional land allocated to them. If they lost, they would be disbanded and their assets would all be surrendered to Yukihira Sōma.

"Sōma would keep the seized assets himself?" Hisako questioned. The purple haired girl was perplexed. "I assumed Azami-sama would choose to simply retain the spoils for himself and Central. Why would he let Sōma-kun keep them?"

Erina shrugged at her close friend. Even when he'd been a more…driving influence in her life, she couldn't claim to ever truly understand most of the things her father did.

"Maybe it's like a reward? Something to dangle in front of Yukihira-kun, to keep him satisfied with his position?"

This, and a few other theories circulated briefly amongst the spectating dorm as the contestants returned to their stations. Urara proclaimed that the theme was native French cuisine and suddenly, the match was underway as she shouted for both of them to start cooking.

The stage was silent, but tense as pots clanged, stoves were switched on and cutting boards were placed. Each chef was completely focused on their appointed task. The onlookers watched in awe at the precision with which they displayed, even towards something as mundane as laying out their prepared ingredients, or assembling their utensils. Each movement was smooth, evidence of the long hours these cooks had spent honing their skills.

Seventeen minutes in to the challenge, Sōma lowered the heat on his pot, turned to Naru and spoke, projecting his toneless voice so that all watching could hear.

"Morino. What say you to raising the stakes?"

Naru's knife was a blur of silver, moving through the assembled vegetables. She paused, setting her knife down and glancing at the black clothed chef.

"What dishonest trick have you prepared now, Central dog?"

Sōma's lips quirked.

"I assure you there are no tricks. Merely a simple offer. I wager my seat on the Elite Ten. In exchange for you wagering your continued tenure at Tōtsuki."

If Naru had been a less experienced chef, her surprise would've cost her a batch of mushrooms. As it were, she merely continued chopping, sliding the quartered pieces to the side, calmly grouping them with the other ingredients she'd prepared.

The spectators' reactions were nowhere near as controlled. The crowd got roused again, shouting a combination of encouragement for Naru and abuse at Sōma. The seats manned by the other representatives were among the loudest, pushing their leader to accept and show the upstart his place. Not to mention the massive boon it would be to have an Elite Ten member for a leader.

Those watching from the Polar Star Dormitory were in varied states of disbelief. A seat on the Elite Ten, even the lowest, wasn't worth a single student's expulsion, even if that student was the president of one of Tōtsuki's more prominent research societies.

Naru turned to her pot, checking the contents before sliding in a portion of the ingredients inside of it and stirring. As she continued to stir, she turned her head, barely catching Sōma's eye.

"You would really seek to lose your seat after less than a day in it?"

"I have no intentions of losing my seat. But if you beat me, you are more than welcome to it."

"I accept your terms, Yukihira. Now leave me to my cooking."

Sōma nodded, bowing slightly, before turning to their host.

"Kawashima-san. Please announce the stakes revision and confirm it with the judges."

The dark haired girl nodded perkily, announcing to the crowd what had just occurred, even though most of them had been more than capable of hearing the exchange itself. She bounced over to the judges, who confirmed the revision, and approved it, more as a formality than anything else.

Sōma then walked back to his own station, adjusting the heat of the burner he'd lowered. He said nothing else for the remainder of the cooking time, chopping, heating and stirring in complete silence. Even his motions were almost silent, no extra noise being made. No clangs from clashing silverware or rough knocks from the knife hitting the cutting board.

If you closed your eyes, and ignored the smell, you would almost believe there was no one in the kitchen at Sōma's station.

After a while of intense but silent competition, Urara declared that time was up. Not that she really needed to. Both chefs had already plated and brought their food forward on carts before the judges, the very picture of punctuality. There was no mad scramble to add a last minute garnish or desperate attempt to simmer the sauce just a tad bit more. Such amateurish behavior had no place at Tōtsuki.

"First up, we have Sōma Yukihira's dish. Would you mind telling the crowd what it is, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma looked down at the girl who was all smiles as she held the mic before him. He spoke softly, his words clear.

" _Cassoulet au Canard_. A casserole prominently featuring duck and baked white beans."

He stared at Urara who stared back, nonplussed. After a few decidedly awkward seconds, she retracted the mic, realizing that it was all the Central enforcer had to say. She recovered quickly and turned to the judges, who'd already had covered plates set in front of them.

The first judge removed the covering, gently wafting the aroma towards his face. Almost immediately, he was thrown back in his seat by the heavenly flavors that assaulted his nose. He wasted no time and picked up a spoon, dipping it into the casserole and taking a bite.

Soon, the second and third judges followed his lead, removing their own coverings and starting to eat.

After a few bites each though, it was clear something was…off. The judges all ate only a few spoonfuls apiece before stopping, pushing their plates to the side. They all wore decidedly negative expressions.

"Morino Naru. Present your dish."

The first judge's voice had lost all warmth. He almost sounded angry. It was clear that Sōma's dish was responsible for the sudden shift in mood.

The crowd picked up on this and the excitement started to build again. Clearly, the arrogant first year had bitten off more than he could chew, and had made some error in his dish. No one could fault his process, it had seemed technically perfect from where they were sitting, but it didn't take much to ruin a dish. Not at the level of cooking that was the Tōtsuki Shokugeki.

Sōma's face still sat expressionless, his gaze unflinching as he watched Naru wheel her cart forward, setting the plates down before the judges. Urara walked over to the second year, with the mic held out to her.

Luckily the girl was clearly in a more generous mood than her opponent, especially as she saw her win just on the horizon.

"The dish I prepared is _Coq au Vin_. Simply put, chicken in wine sauce. The wine used was a premium vintage Bordeaux, aged twenty two years, imported directly from my family's personal vineyard on the outskirts of the city itself. Our vineyard is considered one of the premier wine producers in the region, and a bottle can easily go for over forty thousand yen."

Naru pushed up her glasses, her calm abandoned in the face of her excitement.

"I marinated the chicken with the wine and diced onions overnight, to both tenderize the meat and add flavor. I used garlic and seasoning salt to give it an extra kick that blends perfectly with the wine's mellow undertones. _Coq au Vin, Aigu_."

The judges had removed the coverings and they looked down at the plates with frowns on their faces. They picked up their utensils and slowly started to eat, but their pace increased with each forkful. Smiles had broken out among them and they extolled the dish before them.

"What is this? The sharp tang of the seasoning is indeed offset perfectly by the wine!"

"And the mushrooms! Oh the mushrooms! They're so tender, I could eat a meal made up of the mushrooms alone!"

The judges continued eating, cutlery scraping forcefully against the plates, until nothing outside of a few sauce stains were left between all three of them. They patted their faces with napkins, happily discussing the wonderful meal they'd just been served. Urara smiled brightly, almost twirling as she approached the table.

"Are our judges ready to make their decision?"

The three judges smiled happily, nodding. Naru smirked, looking over at the soon to be former tenth seat. She wondered how soon she could get her name placard made and hung in the Nakiri family mansion.

With a click, each judge pressed a button, locking in their vote. The numbers flashed bright and yellow on the display screen. The score was three to zero. A unanimous decision.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen! The results are in. In a stunning 3-0 knockout, the winner of this Shokugeki is Morino Naru!"

A few members of the crowd cheered, but they were drowned out by the confused conversations taking place. Everyone in the audience seemed at a loss for words, trying to figure out just what exactly they were seeing. Urara looked out across the crowd, hiding her frustration as she continued to beam happily. What were they doing? They were supposed to cheer for her. She didn't spend an hour in the mirror teasing her hair for this sort of treatment!

"Excuse me, young miss."

The host looked away, turning to look towards the second judge, who'd been the one to address her. The happiness he'd displayed at Naru's dish was all gone and he'd instead reverted to the moderate frown he'd worn after two bites of Sōma's. She saw Naru standing off to the side, looking rather devastated for someone who'd just won a seat on the Elite Ten, which set off a few warning bells in the school idol's head.

"You need to actually look at the board, instead of announcing things based on your assumptions."

Urara wondered briefly what he meant, before two obvious thoughts connected, and she gasped, turning and staring up at the board that she'd neglected to examine further. She'd just gotten a brief glimpse of the score before she'd turned away to make her final announcement, trying to capitalize on the hype of the recently delivered votes. She'd thought that Morino Naru was the winner. It had seemed obvious. The judges had nothing but glowing praise for her dish, where they had surly silence for Sōma's.

But no. There displayed clearly on the board was the result of the match.

 _Yukihira Sōma – 3_

 _Morino Naru – 0_

The crowd was still in the midst of its confusion, which was probably the only reason things hadn't gotten much more raucous, so Urara decided to try and hurriedly correct her error:

" _Gomen, gomen!_ It seems Urara-chan misspoke. The winner of the Shokugeki is in fact Yukihira Sōma! Per the agreements set forth, the French Cuisine RS will be immediately disbanded and all its resources allocated to Sōma's possession!"

The crowd was none too pleased at the reversal, and they showed as much, shouting down at the stage. They would've probably thrown things if such a reaction wasn't expressly forbidden at official Shokugeki matches, on threat of expulsion.

"Kawashima-san. Don't neglect to announce the results brought about by the revisions as well." Sōma said mildly, looking over at his opponent, who'd taken off her glasses and tucked them into her pocket, attempting to gain some measure of control over her expression. Her face seemed frozen in the stunned expression of someone who'd just had the rug pulled out from under them.

Urara looked uncomfortable at Sōma's directive. She'd officiated more than one Shokugeki that had ended in a student being expelled. It was common practice to simply announce the winner in those cases, letting the loser leave the stage with a modicum of dignity. It was simply good manners.

She lowered the mic, leaning towards him.

"Sōma-kun. Is that…really necessary? No one is disputing the claim, it's just that…"

Sōma looked down at the girl, his previously blank eyes now filled with steel. In a calm voice that didn't seem to have changed, but felt much more dangerous, he spoke.

"Announce the results. Properly."

Urara looked away, unwilling to hold his gaze. She raised the mic to her lips.

"In…in addition, in accordance with the revision to the stakes accepted by both parties, Morino Naru is immediately expelled from Tōtsuki Culinary Academy."

The crowd emanated an almost palpable air of disgust. They booed at both the transfer student's victory and the unnecessary humiliation he was forcing the former president to undergo.

Naru stood straight, head held high as she started to cross the stage and head for the back exit. As she passed by Urara, the girl gave her an apologetic glance. But as she passed by her opponent, he called out to her.

"Morino."

She stopped. Unwilling to turn back to look at the man who'd forced her from her place at the most prestigious cooking school in the world.

"As of this moment, you are no longer a Tōtsuki student. Please turn over your school issued blazer and tie."

Naru gritted her teeth, as discontented grumbling spread throughout the crowd. As if she wasn't ashamed enough.

"If you are dressed immodestly beneath it, then-"

Sōma didn't get to finish whatever he was going to say, as Naru practically threw the garments in his direction. The blazer and tie fluttered to the ground at Sōma's feet. He made no move to pick them up.

Beneath, Naru was clad in the standard, white collared shirt that most students wore beneath their uniforms. She spun on her heel with as much dignity as she could muster, disappearing into the back of the stage.

Sōma looked at where she'd disappeared for a moment, before walking towards the doors as well.

"No way in hell!"

The voice was one from the crowd, a particularly loud heckler.

"Yea! There's no way you beat Morino-senpai at French cuisine, it's impossible!"

"Did you see how the judges were looking at his dish? No way they chose the winner impartially! Central's probably fixing matches again!"

"Yea, this is bullshit!"

The complaints started to increase in volume and Urara waved her hands anxiously, trying to calm the crowd down and make herself heard. Her efforts were in vain, as everyone ignored the cute idol in favor of getting their points across.

Sōma stared out at the growing tide of angry students. He waited, letting their tempers flare up in indignant self-righteousness, before gesturing to Urara. The girl looked between him and the audience hesitantly before walking over to where he stood on the stage, standing over the remains of his fallen opponent like some vengeful battle spirit.

He took the mic from her unresisting grip, and the crowd quieted, their anger down to a simmer as they restrained themselves, waiting to see what Central's newest puppet had to say for itself.

"I am nothing like my associate, Eizan-san. I have no need nor desire to trick anyone. If I won, it's because my cooking was superior. Plain and simple."

He walked over to one of the carts, where the remainder of Naru's _Coq au Vin, Aigu_ sat in the pot. He picked up a spoon, stirring the mixture lightly before scooping out a small sample. He eyed the spoon carefully before raising it to his lips. He put it in his mouth, closing his eyes as he chewed.

After a few seconds, he swallowed but his eyes remained close. The atmosphere was tense. No one knew just exactly what Sōma was attempting to prove. He'd already won, after all.

His eyes snapped open, causing those near enough to see his expression to flinch. The intensity in them was something different. Something that his earlier flat, dispassionate stares couldn't compare to. As he spoke, his previous cold manner of address and flat tone was overridden by one that seemed much more precise and regal. Sharp and biting in its condemnation.

"This dish has fourteen flaws. Six negligible, five minor, and three major. The onions aren't fresh, the sharpness they deliver to the meal is too acute, much the way they would taste if they were substituted for dried onion powder. The heat should've been lowered by at least twenty more degrees after the wine was added; as it stands, the heat broke down the alcohol much too quickly for its properties to properly embed itself in the chicken, leaving the flavor of the wine more hit-and-miss throughout the food where it should've been evenly distributed."

Sōma put the spoon down where he'd found it, clearly not interested in taking a second bite.

"In short, the dish is more than adequate as a meal for consumption. But it pales before my cooking, and is less than trash to someone with a palate as refined as mine."

The familiar phrasing and manner of speech was jarring. Everyone stared, shocked as the red head's expression faded, resuming its past blank neutrality. Despite this, the specter of a haughty woman with long, honey blonde hair and deep purple eyes was practically visible behind the Yukihira, glaring out at them. Everyone was more than familiar with the God Tongue's ridiculous high level of both precision and accuracy, and to see it parroted so effectively was eerie. The parallel was only made that much stronger by the fact that the boy in front of them had taken the seat of the true God's Tongue not twenty four hours ago.

At the dorm, the expressions varied between shock, indignation and amusement, as everyone turned to look at the girl Sōma was clearly emulating. Erina was staring at the screen, at a loss for words. She wasn't there in the arena, so she couldn't confirm or deny any of the judgements Sōma had just made, but he'd certainly sounded like she did after a tasting. Right down to her derisive, upper class tone.

Satoshi smiled, unruffled by the events.

"Well, it seems like Sōma has progressed quite far in the months he's been gone."

His cheerful words broke the silence, and Ikumi Mito rounded on him snappishly.

"Is that really the best you can come up with after seeing…seeing…"

The busty _ganguro_ struggled, waving her arm vaguely at the television where Sōma still stood, looking out at the crowd as people murmured, much more quietly than they had before, in an odd mix of awe and fear.

Satoshi's smile remained beatific.

"It's certainly more than a bit surprising, Ikumi-san."

"I'm impressed at Sōma's talents with mimicry." Noted Marui, adjusting his glasses uncomfortably. He was just as unhappy with the change in their friend, but his studious side couldn't help but make the clinical observation. "Imitating the God's Tongue, even in mere appearance, isn't something to take lightly."

"That was no simple imitation."

The speaker was Alice, who stared at the screen, intensely staring at the retreating back of the Yukihira chef as he exited the stage amidst wary silence, the discarded uniform held in a bundle under his arm as he left the arena before the camera panned out and away.

She picked up the remote, thumbing the buttons. The channel shifted to a large animated kangaroo hopping up and down on a trampoline, and she squeaked before rapidly pressing even more buttons.

Ryo looked at his mistress, whose cheeks were red as she continued pressing buttons on the remote, seemingly at random, causing the TV to have what seemed to be an electronic panic attack. With a sigh, he leaned over and took the remote from her hands, pressing two keys that brought it back to the previous Tōtsuki channel.

Alice coughed, pointedly ignoring the snickering she heard coming from behind her.

"Much thanks, Ryo-kun. Now, if you would be so kind, can you rewind the channel to see Sōma's evaluation of the dish?"

" _Ojou_ …cable TV doesn't work quite in that manner."

Alice's cheeks puffed up, before she turned from her aide, as if he was to blame for her misstep.

Proceeding onwards, despite her lack of visual aid, Alice said

"Sōma-kun's face, when he opened his eyes after tasting the dish, looked quite familiar. The way he placed the spoon in his mouth, the way his tongue darted around inside his cheeks, clearly attacking the sample of food from all angles. The way his eyes were set, as if staring into the distance at something no one else could see. "

Any humor that had been on Alice's face drained away, as she looked at her cousin, who was looking down at her hands, silent.

"I've only seen one other person taste food like that. I can't say what Sōma is doing, or how he's doing it. But he's not just critiquing the dish like any regular chef or food critic. That was…something else."

The other residents of the dorm were nowhere near as familiar with Erina's palate as her cousin, but they could easily see what she alluding to. What Sōma had done was more than just your average food tasting. But there was also only one wielder of the God's Tongue. Both of these were facts, yet they seemed so contradictory.

"Anyway." Ibusaki Shun interjected, in his quiet direct manner. "We should focus on what's important here. We can ask Sōma all the questions we want once we get him back."

His quiet certainty changed the mood of the room almost instantly, and Ryoko grinned at the stoic Smoking specialist.

"I like the way you think, Shun-kun."

"We can't leave Sōma as he is. He's one of us, for better or worse." chimed in Yuki, determination lighting her eyes from within.

The warmth spread as the other students in the room went back and forth, exchanging promises to help their friend. Even Ryo, stoic as he was, agreed to lend his assistance, claiming that beating Yukihira as he was now would hold no meaning to the berserk chef.

A select few notably refrained from saying anything, finding themselves unaffected by the changed air.

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy."

The one who'd spoken was, to almost everyone's shock, Megumi. She sat at the edge of the crowd, and had stayed noticeably silent throughout the majority of the broadcast. Her eyes were hidden by her hair as she stared into her lap.

"Sōma-kun…he's…he's different, everyone. I don't think we can just invite him back for a party."

She sounded despondent, hopeless. The girl who'd been one of Sōma's staunchest supporters, even after he'd left with nothing but a few insubstantial text messages in his wake. Satoshi eyed the girl, wondering just what had changed. He hadn't missed the notable dip her demeanor seemed to have taken that evening, compared to how she was in the morning while they were tending to the yard.

Satoshi's gaze shifted to Erina, who was staring at the blue haired girl in concern. She noticed Satoshi's stare and looked away, but not before the second year caught a glimpse of…something. He couldn't be certain what.

"Erina-chan. Did something happen today?"

His words cut all the conversations in the room short, as the focus shifted to the blonde. She fidgeted, uncomfortable under so many eyes, even if they were her friends.

"That's right cousin!" Alice exclaimed, clapping her hands together in surprise. "We've all been so caught up with Sōma-kun's antics, that we haven't even addressed the issue of your seat!"

Yuki clapped her hands together, smiling.

"Oh, that's right! Erina-chii! What seat are you on the Elite Ten now? Ninth? Eighth?"

Erina looked back questioningly, before understanding dawned on her.

"Yuki-san, I've…as of this afternoon, I've been officially dismissed from the Elite Ten."

This time, the reaction in the room was almost unanimously one of shock and confusion. As they probed for details, Erina gave them a brief overview of what had occurred. She was forced to backtrack several times as people kept asking questions, and she found herself turning red as she learnt that, outside of Ryo and Alice, everyone had indeed known that Sōma's father was one Yukihira (née Saiba) Joichiro.

She lashed out immediately, waving her fists at Daigo and Shoji as they laughed at her confusion. Alice traitorously asked Erina if this was the chef that "made her heart flutter", setting off an entirely new round of laughter at the heiress' expense that ended with Erina angrily yelling at Alice for exposing sacred Nakiri family business.

After all was said and done, it took almost an hour for Erina to finish her tale, and Satoshi turned to Megumi, who'd been content to let Erina do most of the talking.

"So you spoke to Sōma-kun earlier today then, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi nodded, hands folded in her lap. Her expression hadn't changed, still as unhappy as it had been previously, uninfected by the trademark joviality that was the bread and butter of the Polar Star Dorm.

"What did he say?"

Megumi hesitated, looking around at her friends.

"Megumi-chan, if you don't want to tell us, that's fine." Satoshi said gently.

Megumi sighed, looking down into her lap. She released her hands, choosing to stroke at her skirt instead, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles.

"No, it's fine Isshiki-senpai. It wasn't a very long conversation, regardless. I tried to ask Sōma-kun about how he was, and where he'd been, but he wasn't very responsive. He just kept telling me that he was fine, and that he thanked me for my concern. He also thanked me for…"

At this, Megumi's hands clenched, rumpling the material they sat on. She didn't continue, but her breathing was heavy and hitched. Yuki leaned over, rubbing her back soothingly.

"It's fine, Megumi-chan. We're here for you. We can fix this."

Megumi took some small comfort in the bun haired girl's words, and her shoulders grew noticeably less tense. She continued on, as if she'd never stopped speaking.

"He thanked me for all of the help I'd given him over the past year. And he wanted me to convey his thanks to all of you. And to tell you that he was sorry. He was sorry for burdening all of us with his…his natural lack of skill and talent."

 _Before Nakiri-sama found me, I didn't deserve to be at this school. I was a substandard chef that coasted on the coat tails of those I would have called my friends. For that, you have my sincerest apologies, Tadokoro-san._

"There's no way…"

Takumi looked at the blue haired girl, trying to see if she was attempting to deceive them, or perhaps playing some cruel joke.

"If any of our generation deserved to be at Tōtsuki, it was Yukihira. Why would he say something so blatantly untrue?"

"And what was that story him and Azami-sama spun for everyone at the main hall a little while ago?" Ikumi piped up, arms folded below her chest. She looked incensed, an angry blush across her dusky cheeks.

"I've never heard such bullshit. Yukihira was in the Autumn Elections for goodness' sake! Does he think we're all gonna just buy some trumped up slander like that?"

"No." Erina spoke, inserting her opinion into the discussion.

"Father would never be so naïve. Yukihira-kun's accomplishments are…notable. There's no way the incompetent hack my father presented in that fiction would've made it past the first week, let alone through the gauntlet of events that our freshman class has been through."

"Which begs the question as to why Azami- _oji_ even bothered to try and sell it to us." Alice said, her red eyes narrowed as she shared a glance with her cousin.

"The director wasn't trying to sell that story."

Everyone turned to the figure of Isshiki Satoshi, who'd long changed into his _fundoshi_. He sat, reclining against the window sill, staring out into the forest that made up the outskirts of the Polar Star Dorm's grounds.

"Sōma-kun has accomplished far too much in his time here. There's simply no way a man like Azami Nakiri expected to convince any of us that one of the top contenders of the Jewels generation was a fraud, through and through."

"Then why bother with the story at all?" queried Takumi, glancing over at Erina, as if to find some insight.

"Power."

Erina's gaze was downcast. She hid her hand behind her back, a familiar twitch arising for the first time in months. She cursed mentally as she felt the ice start to creep into her brain, helped along by the guilt that had been weighing on her mind all afternoon. She felt her chest start to shrink, as her heart seemed to thump in her ears, beginning to overpower all other sounds.

Suddenly, Erina found a warm hand in hers, and she looked up, to lock eyes with Megumi, who'd gotten up from her chair and crossed the room faster than she would've believed. She held Erina's hand in hers, squeezing it firmly, conveying the support and warmth that was inherently Tadokoro Megumi.

Her face was still conflicted, but her eyes were strong. Displaying the inner strength and conviction that had let her go head to head against the Mad Dog in his own specialty. She clearly hadn't fully gotten over what had happened today, and Erina still had no idea if she blamed her for what happened to Yukihira, but she was there, and her eyes said what her mouth didn't.

 _You are stronger than this. I am here for you. You are my friend._

She gently pried open Erina's right hand, tracing a character into the slightly curled palm. A familiar one. Erina smiled, the ice beat back by a warm feeling she hadn't realized she'd been missing. She raised her hand to her lips, 'eating' the character her friend had drawn, before tracing it again herself. She smiled at her hands, which remained still and calm, before smiling up at her friend, who smiled back, albeit a little sadly.

She gave Megumi's hand one final squeeze, before releasing it to turn back to the rest of their friends, who tried (and failed) to appear as if they hadn't been watching the exchange curiously.

"As I said, it's about power. And control. Yukihira-kun was one of the top students in our grade, as Isshiki-senpai mentioned."

The brunette quirked an eyebrow, a small smile on his lips.

"Do you not agree, Erina-chan?" he asked teasingly.

Erina blushed, looking away and folding her arms, before continuing on nonetheless.

"Irrelevant! Regardless of what I think, that is how he was perceived. He then went on to beat one of the Elite Ten in a Shokugeki that succeeded in partially overturning one of the first rulings my father had made as director of Tōtsuki. He singlehandedly made the Azami administration appear weak."

Erina touched her wrist idly.

"Azami Nakiri doesn't appreciate weakness. In any form. He would take any steps needed to correct such a problem."

"And Sōma-kun's impulsiveness gave him the opportunity to do just that." Ikumi muttered, eyes wide as she thought back to the night when he'd left. She hadn't been in the dorm at the time, but she'd received her own farewell text from the Yukihira chef, and had been mightily furious, seeking him out the very next day only to find that he hadn't been playing some sick joke on her.

"Sōma-kun was set to be one of the leaders of your generation in the fight against Central. Despite the bad blood he'd generated at orientation with his careless words, he was well liked, and his influence would only grow as he continued to make new friends and triumph over adversity."

Satoshi looked at the stars, twinkling so high above the Earth. Far and away from the petty problems of those stuck walking on the ground.

"In one fell swoop, Azami-sama gained a powerful pawn and the Jewels Generation lost one of its best. He got the man who'd sworn to use even the first seat of the Elite Ten as a stepping stone to admit before the world that he was nothing but a nameless cook, leeching off of the success of others."

Satoshi's face was stone.

"That inconsistent farce of a story showed the entire academy that he owns Sōma. That he took the most willfully defiant student in the entire school and broke him."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello there readers! As you can see, due to both my love for Shokugeki no Soma and the VERY positive feedback I've received on the first chapter, I've decided to continue this fic! I've officially set the story to In Progress now and I hope you all enjoy. Let me know what you think of the story.**

 **Also, I recently learnt that I was misspelling my own story's name this whole time! It should be** _ **Nisegami**_ **, not** _ **Nisekami.**_ **So I've changed it, I hope this isn't too confusing for anyone! Anyway, hope you all enjoyed chapter two, and are looking forward to the next one!**


	3. Chapter 3

Any levity in the room had been firmly extinguished by Satoshi's proclamation. No one seemed eager to speak after such a dismal announcement.

"Isshiki-senpai…don't you think you're being a little dramatic?" asked Ryoko, turning in her chair to look at the boy's backlit figure in the window sill.

Satoshi turned, his face mostly in shadow.

"Possibly. But think of it this way, Ryoko-kun. Imagine, for a moment, that you were just another first year student at the academy. Not someone who made it to the top 16 of the Autumn Election preliminaries. Not someone who personally consorts with not one, but two, Elite Ten members."

"Former." Erina cut in, almost bitterly. She had her arms folded, a bit of her _ojou_ air resurfacing. It seemed she wasn't taking her dismissal as calmly as she tried to make it seem. Satoshi went on as if the distinction didn't matter.

"You're just one of the two hundred and fifty plus students that aren't in the upper echelon of your year. You're a worthy chef, certainly. You've made it through such things as the Stagiaire and the Training camp. But you're still nowhere near the level of people like Hayama Akira or Kurokiba Ryo."

Satoshi turned, his apron hanging down and providing some much needed concealment.

"Then the boy cocky enough to challenge the entire school, who was a top contender in the Autumn Elections, trounces an Elite Ten member in a Shokugeki, and swears to fight against the administration that dethroned the Demon King of Food. Only to leave the school and return as one of its staunchest supporters. A student who was leagues ahead of where you would ever be in your cooking, brought to the point of complete surrender under Central's thumb. THAT is the plight of the average Tōtsuki first year. How would you feel, were you in their shoes?"

Ryoko bit her lip, turning to Yuki, who stared open mouthed at their senpai. Most of the onlookers had similar looks of concern, although there were a select few that didn't react at all. Those who'd understood, just as Isshiki did, just what the manner of Sōma's return meant for the rest of the school.

"Isshiki-senpai's correct. At the risk of seeming arrogant, most, if not all of the people in this room are at a completely different level than the rest of our year. We've proven that time and again. We're the Jewels Generation's best. And Sōma-kun's our friend." stated Alice, smiling cheekily.

"So while **we** have nothing to fear from that red headed moron." scoffed Erina, who ignored the irritation she felt at being lumped in with the rest of them as Sōma's friend. "To everyone else in our year, he's a statement. A demonstration of Father's authority and Central's prowess rolled into one. The plebeians that make up the bottom two hundred of our grade will look at him and cower."

"Ha! Pay up!" shouted Daigo, stretching his hand out with a wide grin. Shoji frowned, glancing at Erina, before grumbling and dropping a few coins into his hand.

Erina blinked, nonplussed.

"You can keep going with the scary speech now, Erina-chii." He said, smiling smugly at Shoji, who still was giving Erina a displeased look.

"…eh?"

"They've taken to betting on how long you can go without saying something blatantly princess like. This time, it seems Daigo put his money on the under." said Marui.

Erina blinked again.

"Under…?"

Then she blinked again and finally remembered to be offended.

"And just what's that supposed to mean?!" she asked harshly, resisting the warmth that threatened to break out on her cheeks.

"It's really simple, Erina-chii." chimed in Yuki, eager for a distraction from the somber mood of the room. "Each of them picks over or under and an associated time frame. So let's say they pick two weeks. If you go more than two weeks without saying something super pretentious, whoever picked the 'over' is the winner and the loser has to pay up. Vice versa if you crack before then."

Erina looked borderline scandalized.

"Y-you…you wager money on me?"

"To be fair, Daigo and Shoji wager money on almost anything. You're just their most recent competition."

Erina still didn't look like she was comfortable with the idea, and her mood wasn't helped by Alice voicing her opinion.

"Oh! That's so cute, you're **that** predictable, cousin dearest? You're like one of those slot machines!"

Erina growled, snapping at Alice who laughed in response, willfully ignorant of the almost real steam coming out of her ears. Megumi was alternating between both cousins, trying to calm them down to no avail.

Daigo had gone back to needling Shoji, sparking one of the pair's ever present fights. Marui and Ryoko were trying to play peacemaker, while Yuki was whispering sly encouragement to both sides, a true instigator.

The Aldini brothers were conversing with each other, Takumi gesturing wildly, as was his wont. Ikumi was sitting quietly, staring at her phone and typing on it, probably messaging someone that wasn't present.

The seriousness of the evening had been completely broken by Daigo's unthinking interruption, and Satoshi found himself loathe to return to it. Their problems wouldn't be solved by pointing out how well played Azami's latest maneuver had been. They would be solved through the decisive action of Tōtsuki's most rebellious students. And so he would be sure to do his part to assist his precious kouhai.

"Incoming!"

Even if that meant he would have to pull out his most risqué apron for the occasion and dive towards the Nakiri cousins who, even after all the weeks spent at Polar Star, weren't fully ready to deal with the true depth of Satoshi's eccentricities.

* * *

"That was certainly very fun, wouldn't you say Ryo-kun?"

"Certainly, ojou…"

Alice and Ryo had taken their leave, heading back to the Nakiri mansion for the night. As fun as things were, they knew they couldn't afford to be there any longer. It was already approaching midnight as it was.

Coming up to the steps, Alice continued talking, happily recounting how Erina had stayed away from the senior student and his naked apron prowess for the rest of the party.

"Alice-ojou…weren't you also just as scared?"

Alice sniffed haughtily, crossing her arms and looking away pointedly.

"Scared? Me? Please Ryo-kun, I would've thought you-"

"Quiet ojou."

Alice opened her eyes, turning onto her aide.

"How dare you? You dog! I'll-"

"Alice. Look."

The white haired girl stopped speaking, surprised. She wasn't used to Ryo actually sounding serious, and she decided to heed his words before tearing into him for his disrespect.

Any thoughts of punishing the baggy eyed chef went straight out the window as she saw what had grabbed his attention.

There, standing at the top of the steps, blocking the doorway to the Nakiri mansion, was Sōma Yukihira. He was back in his uniform and he had the same, straight backed posture they'd seen him adopt at the shokugeki. It was markedly different from the laidback stance he'd favored months ago.

Ryo stepped in front of Alice, placing her behind him. It wasn't really a conscious movement, he just knew that his old rival wasn't the same, and he sought to protect Alice, as he always did.

"Evening, Yukihira. You need something?"

His tone was as flat and bored as it ever was, despite the questions he himself had for the young chef.

"Nothing in particular, Kurokiba-san. I've just been waiting for you and Nakiri-ojou to get home, so that I can announce my presence to you. I will be residing here for the foreseeable future."

Ryo didn't flinch, but he could practically sense Alice ready to burst with questions behind him. He normally wouldn't bother to restrain her, but he couldn't shake the feeling he got from standing in front of the changed Yukihira chef. Something had shifted, there was something different about this man that set off warning bells in his head. His instincts called Sōma dangerous, and Ryo wasn't stupid enough to disagree with them without finding out more.

"Ah, I see." was all he had to say.

"Is that favorable to you, Nakiri-ojou? If it is not, then I will seek other accommodations immediately."

Alice stepped from behind Ryo so she could look directly at her former acquaintance. She didn't say anything. Instead she locked her eyes with Sōma's. He stared back, completely undisturbed by her sudden interest.

After a few seconds, she turned, dismissing him.

"If that is what the director decrees, then I have no issue. What room will you be using?"

"I will be using one of the servant quarters, one floor down from where you and Kurokiba-san reside."

Clicking her tongue, Alice strode boldly forward, ignoring Ryo's silent attempt to keep her back. She stopped in front of Sōma, who deferentially moved to the side, allowing her access into the building. As she put her hand on the doorknob, Sōma reached his hand out and held it shut.

Alice was unfazed, turning her pink irises onto the boy.

"Was there more you had to say, Sōma-kun?"

"Forgive my presumption, Nakiri-ojou. I just had a simple question for you."

Ryo stepped forward. Not exactly threateningly, but not exactly peacefully either.

"Then speak. Ryo-kun and I are quite tired and eager to head in for the night."

"How far are you willing to go in defiance to Nakiri Azami?"

Alice looked at him, at the golden eyes that held her own. They held a different look, one almost like the gaze he'd worn when imitating her cousin's famous tongue. He wasn't asking as Central's enforcer. He was asking for himself. This new, cold, distant self. She smiled, almost goofily.

"You're so strange, Sōma-kun! What an odd question!"

Shaking her head, she patted Sōma's hair and pulled at the doorknob, slipping into the building. Ryo followed after her, stopping to look at Sōma as he crossed the threshold. His gaze was almost searching, as he took in the new form of his fellow Autumn Election runner up.

"What're you playing at, Yukihira?"

Sōma quirked an eyebrow at the seafood chef, before shrugging lightly, unconcerned.

"That is not your concern, Kurokiba-san."

Ryo said nothing, heading inside. The response hadn't really surprised him. He ascended the stairs to the upper floors, finding Alice waiting for him around the corner to the hallway that led to their rooms.

"So, it seems we have a new roommate, Ryo-kun."

"Yea."

Alice looked down over the banister, at the darkly clad form of Yukihira Sōma striding across the carpet. She could honestly say this was something she didn't expect.

"Are you going to tell the others?"

Alice looked at her aide.

"Would you be mad with me if I didn't?"

Ryo yawned, scratching at the side of his head.

"Whatever ojou decides is fine."

"Good boy." She said affectionately, reaching out to pat his hair. He sidestepped the familiar gesture with long years of practice. He'd only accept so much patronization, even in his resting state.

Alice pouted, glaring at Ryo before turning her back to him and walking to their rooms. He followed along at a steady pace, more than ready to go to bed. It had been a tiring day, in more ways than one. He idly wondered why Alice would bother keeping Yukihira's presence at the Nakiri mansion a secret, but he assumed she had her reasons. She was much more politically minded than he was, he could admit that, and so he would defer to her here.

"Evening, Alice-ojou."

"Good night to you too, Ryo-kun."

* * *

The next few days at Tōtsuki were a flurry of activity. Each day after classes, Sōma would run through a veritable gauntlet of shokugekis. The exact number varied from day to day, but he never fought any less than two in a given afternoon.

Club after club fell to the new tenth seat's cooking prowess. Chocolate Study. Indian Cuisine. Grilling Techniques. These and more all fought for the right to survive in Central's new Tōtsuki. And lost by complete shut out to the red head, who seemed adamant in throwing out as many students as he could while eliminating the various extra-curricular organizations of the school. He didn't always offer additional stakes, but he did it often, and the stakes were always the same. Risk expulsion to claim his seat. And while not everyone was foolish enough to accept, there were more than a few greedy research society heads that sought a seat on the Elite Ten Council.

Each and every victory occurred in much the same manner as his first win over Morino Naru. The judges' reactions to his dishes would always be ones of disgust, anger or even fear. There was even one particular incident in which a judge, upon just smelling Sōma's dish, locked in his vote and immediately left the arena. But the judges would always vote for Sōma's cooking unanimously with little hesitation, the red head confiscating the uniform of any that had accepted his raised stakes.

At first, there was a lot of unrest as students continued to protest. They swore that Central was match fixing all over again, despite Sōma's earlier assurances to the contrary. In response, after each win, he would critique the opponent's dish for the masses to see. He always take one simple spoonful, through which he always found over a dozen flaws, with at least two or three of them being critical failures. He gave his opponents each and every opportunity to refute his criticisms but few ever did, and those that did were swiftly proven wrong by the judges.

Each of Sōma's targeted comments were one hundred percent accurate.

When that wasn't enough, Sōma allowed the judging panel to be increased to five, with three of the judges being randomly swapped out after every match. It didn't matter. They all seemed to dislike the Yukihira boy's dishes, but they always voted for him, with most refusing to comment on why they had voted the way they did.

One judge, a particularly stern looking man by the name of Ryouga Inari, finally decided to respond to Urara's insistent questioning.

"The boy's cooking is almost technically perfect. His dishes taste exquisite. But eating his food isn't an enjoyable experience."

He refused to speak on it further and the enigmatic comment only led to even more questions. How could food be cooked perfectly and taste amazing while being unenjoyable? It would be one thing if the person in question just didn't have a taste for the foods in question but that clearly wasn't the case here, especially when contrasted against the judges' usual exuberant praise for the opposing dish.

The members of the Polar Star dormitory followed their former comrade's warpath, gathering around the TV every afternoon to watch him clear away yet another part of what made Tōtsuki so unique throughout the entire culinary education world. None of them had had to personally cross knives with the tenth seat yet, but Marui and Megumi's respective research societies had been forced to disband, their presidents losing their bids to stay on as independent entities of the school.

It wasn't until the fifth day of Sōma's campaign that one of their friends was forced to step into the ring themselves.

"Greetings everyone! Urara-chan here yet again to act as host to another shokugeki between Central's premier enforcer and an RS determined to beat the odds and stay alive!"

The crowd cheered, just as noisy as ever, but the emotions of the crowd were divided. There were some that still held onto their anger and hope that an RS would finally be able to succeed against Sōma, but there were even more that cheered for the red head himself. Public opinion had shifted noticeably, as people were swayed to Central's side by both Sōma's capability and the honeyed promises of becoming on par with the Elite Ten.

Tōtsuki's idol gestured to one side.

"Today, we have the Donburi Research Society, represented by its president, Mito Ikumi. If she wins, the Don RS will continue on as a Central approved organization, with an increased budget and land allocation. If she loses, the club will be disbanded and the assets seized by Yukihira Sōma."

The dark skinned girl stepped up in her classic, revealing cooking attire. She looked across the stage at Sōma, who didn't even glance in her direction, instead staring off to the side.

"The theme is Don. The time limit is two hours. Ready. Set. START!"

"I forfeit."

The entire arena went silent. It seemed everyone in attendance could do nothing but stare at where the girl was standing, casually, as if she hadn't just given up before touching a single utensil. She looked directly at Sōma, who had turned slightly at her words. He didn't seem surprised by the turn of events at all, although that could be due to his reaction to the surrender being the same as his reaction to almost everything else: complete and utter apathy.

Urara looked just as confused as the spectators, stammering a bit as she almost tripped. The blonde girl's statement had come so quickly after hers that she'd still been mid motion with her hand signal for them to commence! She looked over at Ikumi, who seemed at ease.

"Ah…Mito-san, are you certain?"

"Very. My apologies for wasting such a nice introduction, Urara-chan."

"No…problem?" the school idol blinked. She turned to the crowd, where whispers had broken out, everyone confused by the turn of events. While more than one of Sōma's challengers had seemed resigned to their defeats, none had just forfeited straight out. Was Tōtsuki's renowned Meat General that intimidated by Sōma's spotless record?

"Um…well it seems the match has been concluded everyone! The victory goes to Yukihira Sōma via forfeiture. The Don RS shall be officially disbanded and any and all resources they had will be given over directly to Sōma-kun. Thank you for viewing!"

Mito Ikumi walked off towards the back of the stage, offering no further explanation or justification. Sōma exited soon after, having not said a word throughout the entire match. If one could call what had just occurred a match.

Those still in the audience at the arena were still trying to process what they had just seen, and the viewers at the Polar Star Dormitory were in much the same state of confusion.

"Aldini-kun, did Mito-san mention anything about forfeiting to you?" queried Ryoko. The Italian chef looked concerned, staring into space as he stroked his chin.

"No, she didn't say a thing. Yesterday, I'd asked her what she had planned for the shokugeki, but she refused to tell me. I thought she was just being overly cautious. I didn't see any sign that she was actually going to just give up."

"It's not like Mito-chan to just give up without a fight. She's the type that would commit to the battle no matter the odds." commented Satoshi. He'd yet to change into his classic attire (or lack thereof) and still stood in his uniform, pondering the situation.

"We can simply ask Mito once she returns." declared Erina, crossing her arms irritably. The Meat Master hadn't served under her in months, but it still rankled to see someone she'd once handpicked give up without a struggle. "I hope her reasoning's adequate."

* * *

Ikumi walked down the hallway, coming across the despondent form of her senpai and former subordinate. He sat against the wall, depressed, his hair drooping in line with his mood.

"Nikumi-chan…how could you?" moaned Konishi Kanichi, comically wide tears running down his face.

With no warning, he stood up.

"The great Don RS is no more. I had faith in you, Nikumi-chan!" he cried, clutching his head. Ikumi looked uncomfortable, fiddling with the sheath strapped to her thigh.

" _Gomenasai_ Kanichi-senpai. I…I had my reasons."

"What?! What reason could possibly justify such betrayal?"

"That is not a matter with which you should concern yourself." cut in a third voice.

Kanichi turned, met with the looming form of Yukihira Sōma. Even though he was slightly taller than the Central chef, Kanichi would swear that the boy still stood meters above him, glaring down at him like he was some insect hardly worth his attention.

"The shokugeki is over, Konishi-san. You no longer have any reason to be here. Please excuse yourself."

Kanichi bit back the urge to argue, his fear vastly outweighing any notions of defiance. Instead he just gazed sadly at Sōma's blank eyes.

"Yukihira…what happened to you? This isn't who you once were."

Sōma quirked an eyebrow.

"You're right, Konishi-san. But this is who I am now. Which is what matters. Now, if you would be so kind."

Knowing a dismissal when he heard it, Kanichi turned, gathering around himself what little dignity he could spare.

"Fine, then. We know when we're not wanted. Let's go Nikumi-chan."

"I'm afraid she'll be staying here."

Kanichi paused. He didn't move, instead just turning his head to eye Ikumi, who made no attempt to meet his gaze. She didn't move from the spot where she now stood at Sōma's side.

"I see. It's like that, eh Nikumi-chan?"

She didn't say anything, still refusing to meet his eyes. With a noise of disgust, he continued walking, his footsteps fading until the two first years couldn't hear the scuff of his boots on the tile any longer.

Once assured that they were alone, Ikumi rounded on Sōma, fire in her eyes.

"I get that what I did was necessary, but did you have to be such an asshole to him? He just lost his life's work."

Sōma didn't seem concerned with the anger of the meat master, choosing to lean against the wall, his posture notably more relaxed.

"I wouldn't call two years his 'life'. Besides, it was entertaining. At least for me."

Ikumi clicked her tongue, staring Sōma down irritably.

"Whatever. We have bigger problems than your sparkling personality."

Sōma looked at the girl, his eyes sweeping over her form with an intensity he usually reserved for when he was displaying his tasting prowess.

"Indeed we do, Ikumi. Indeed we do."

* * *

Alice lay in bed, flipping through a magazine that Erina had lent her. She had to admit, there were certain perks to her cousin being a resident of such a common institution these days. She'd had no idea that there was so much different types of reading material out there for her to enjoy!

She giggled as she flipped through the comic, absorbed in the romantic struggle of a vampire and her human lover. A knock interrupted her reading and she called out, not moving her eyes from the page.

"Come in."

The door opened and Alice didn't bother looking up, knowing who the visitor must be. She only ever had one, after all.

"Ryo-kun, your timing couldn't be better. Would you be a dear and run over to the dormitory for me? I need you to pick up the next edition of this magazine from Yoshino-san, I simply must know how Moka and Tsukune get out of this one."

The boy said nothing and Alice paid it no mind. She was used to the seafood chef's lazy, quiet nature. After a few seconds though, she realized that he hadn't moved at all though, and that's when she looked up.

Yukihira Sōma looked down at her, his face just as blank as she'd grown used to seeing it on the television at the multitude of shokugekis he'd participated in over the past week. He wore the black chef's uniform he favored for his bouts, and he held a crisp envelope in his hand, which he immediately held out to Alice.

"My apologies for the interruption, Nakiri-ojou. I merely came to deliver this to you."

Alice sat up, smoothing down her skirt and shutting her magazine. She leveled the full weight of her noble, red eyed gaze on the boy.

"And what might that be, Sōma-kun?"

"The shokugeki notice for the Cutting Edge Cooking Research Society, ojou."

Alice blinked, tilting her head questioningly.

"While I did indeed win the use of their facilities a few years ago, I'm not an actual member of the club, Sōma-kun."

"I'm afraid that isn't true, at least not according to what's noted in Tōtsuki's records. You are listed as the current and active president of the society."

He handed another piece of paper to her, and she took it, idly scanning its contents.

"Ah, it appears I won more than just their room all that time ago. What an amusing surprise."

She handed the paper back to Sōma, before reclining against her head board and picking up her magazine again.

"Be that as it may, I have no interest in maintaining the society itself. Feel free to dissolve it. Although I would ask that you store the equipment itself in our holdings prior to demolition. I purchased most of the pieces myself, with no assistance from the club's allocated budget."

"I see. Very well then, Nakiri-ojou. I will take care of it at once."

Sōma headed towards the door, tucking the paper work back inside of the envelope. Just as he reached the door, Alice called out.

"Actually, Sōma-kun. While I don't care if the Cutting Edge RS continues on, this would be a good opportunity to see just how far we've both come, don't you think?"

Sōma didn't turn to face her.

"Perhaps."

"Also, I'm sure we can both agree that the society's fate is an ultimately meaningless stake for the both of us, correct?"

"I could personally care less whether the Cutting Edge society continues to exist or not. I've culled more than enough of the useless flesh from Tōtsuki."

Alice's eyes widened, almost imperceptibly.

"Ah, Sōma-kun, such harsh word choice. And I'm surprised you would be so easily satisfied, I thought Azami-oji wanted every single independent faction crushed beneath his heel."

Sōma turned to face the girl, and she had trouble placing the expression on his face, minute as it was.

"That is indeed what he wants."

He elaborated no further, but she was more than savvy enough to pick up on what he wasn't saying.

 _Who's to say that what Nakiri Azami wants is what Yukihira Sōma wants?_

Alice smiled. It seemed their friend wasn't as firmly under her uncle's sway as they'd feared. Although the revelation brought almost more questions than answers, questions she felt the chef would be more than reticent in answering.

"Very well. Since we both agree that the usual stakes are meaningless, why don't we adjust them a bit?"

"You would seek my seat as well, Nakiri-ojou?"

Alice laughed, one hand covering her mouth demurely.

"Oh, please Sōma-kun. When I come for your seat, I will do it on even grounds. Not because you're arrogant enough to wager it so flippantly. No, I have different stakes in mind."

"I'm listening."

Alice spoke. Sōma listened. And they both agreed that the new stakes offered were acceptable.

So it was, on the morning of the very next day, Alice and Sōma faced each other in a shokugeki once again.

" _Ohayo_ everyone! We're here today to witness the shokugeki between the Cutting Edge RS and Central. As always, Central is represented by its lead enforcer, Yukihira Sōma, while the Cutting Edge RS is represented by Nakiri Alice!"

Both chefs walked out to full applause. There were those who found their hopes revitalized in the young Nakiri. Maybe she would be the one to break Central's intimidating streak. Others remembered that she had lost soundly to the same chef, months ago, before he'd even been gifted with the skills needed to supplant her God's Tongue wielding family member. They continued to support Sōma, sensing an easy win for the young chef.

Alice's gaze panned around, taking in those who cheered for Sōma and, by extension, her Uncle Azami's regime, where they'd been yelling abuse not even one full week ago.

 _Sycophants._

While she wasn't nearly as prejudiced as her cousin had once been, Nakiri Alice knew her place in the world. And had no patience or kindness in her heart for those whose allegiance was about as stable as sand in a desert storm. If she'd had it her way, she would personally expel each and every last one of those ignorant fools.

None of this showed on her face, however, and instead she just smiled, holding her hands behind her back daintily. Never let it be said that Nakiri Alice couldn't maintain her composure.

"Alright. The combatants are ready. While there is no specific theme for this match, there IS a theme ingredient: eggs! A staple ingredient in a variety of dishes the world over, specifically requested by our resident Central chef, Sōma-kun."

"Eggs?" Erina said curiously. She sat in the stands alongside Megumi and Ryo. While they hadn't personally attended any of Sōma's matches before this one, they knew that they couldn't afford to just watch this particular bout on TV. Ryo was hunched over, staring down at the stage as intensely as his calm state would allow. Every so often, his hand would inch towards his bandana, as if he was itching to release his wild self.

"It wouldn't be the first time they were the focus of a shokugeki." commented Megumi. While she still wasn't nearly as perky as she had been before Sōma's return, she'd made strides towards recovery, helped and prodded along by her ever-insistent friends. Especially Erina, who refused to allow her guilt to keep her from doing what she could for the girl.

"True. I just find it odd, that's all. Beforehand, Yukihira-kun made it a point to challenge his opponents in their specialties. Alice has no qualms about cooking with eggs, but you would never really call it her specialty either." noted the heiress, crossing her hands beneath her bust line.

Ryo said nothing, his eyes still locked onto the stage below, where both of the competitors had moved to their stations.

"Let the shokugeki commence!" shouted Urara, with her customary hand flourish. The crowd cheered as both competitors started moving, their movements graceful as they started laying out their prepared ingredients.

Alice reached into a box, pulling out a small stainless steel machine.

Megumi squinted, trying to see what it was. She gave up quickly, however and turned to her noble friend.

"Erina-chan, what exactly is that?"

"It's a Sous Vide Water Oven." She commented, eyeing the machine appraisingly. "Sous Vide is French for "under vacuum". It's all about cooking at very precise temperatures. It uses heated water, as opposed to merely heating the air, allowing you to cook food at lower temperatures with a more evenly spread distribution of heat. It can give foods, especially meat, a richer taste as the food suffers none of the damage that's incurred at the higher temperatures most conventional appliances operate at."

"Wow, that sounds useful." said Megumi, glancing over to Sōma's station where the chef had started whisking the eggs he'd cracked into a bowl. She took note of the large pot and earthenware dish that sat on the stove next to him before she took a closer look at her friend. Something seemed different about him.

She squinted, wishing she'd opted for closer seating as she tried to examine him. Something about his movements were strange. She'd watched every single cooking battle he'd taken part in over the past week and she couldn't quite pinpoint why she was feeling like something was particularly off about the way he was cooking today.

"Ryo-kun. Erina-chan. Do you notice anything different about the way Sōma-kun is cooking today?"

"Different how?" asked Erina, as she turned from watching her cousin separate egg yolks using a slotted spoon. She eyed the Yukihira boy, watching as he tasted whatever he had simmering in that large pot while simultaneously cracking an egg into a nearby bowl.

"Now that you mention it, looking at him, it feels familiar. I can't put my finger on why, though."

"It's his movements." interjected Ryo. He watched the chef move, his fatigued gaze belying the sharpness that hid beneath it. "Prior to today, all of Yukihira's movements have been precisely accurate. Perfect, you could even call them. But they've all had a certain lifelessness to them. He may as well have been a robot on that stage."

Ryo smiled a little sardonically.

"The Yukihira we knew would've called him boring. But today, his movements are much livelier. Nowhere near what they once were, but it's interesting to see, especially coupled with his new skills. He's not some puppet putting on a show here. **I'D LOVE TO TAKE ON THIS BRAND NEW YUKIHIRA!** "

The seafood chef's last statement was punctuated by the swift donning of his bandana, his hair and eyes flaring up as if he was ready to leap into the arena then and there.

Megumi shrunk, as she usually did when presented with the boy's intimidating eccentricities.

"Ryo-kun! Please….please calm down. People are staring."

He rounded on his fellow port town chef, spitting fire.

" **I don't give a fuck about any of these weak willed excuses for cooks! As far as I'm concerned, they can take their pissy judgement and lack of cooking skills, and shove it up their mother's-** "

"That's quite enough of that." bit out Erina, snatching the bandana from Ryo's head. It was a trick for dealing with the tall young man that she'd practically forced Alice to teach her. She refused to be in his presence without having some counter measure for his excessive personality.

"Really. I don't know how Alice puts up with your excessive vulgarity, Kurokiba-kun."

"Ah…apologies Erina-ojou." Said the boy, looking not at all sorry as he scratched his chin and took the proffered bandana back, securing it around his wrist.

"Hmph. Be that as it may, Kurokiba-kun is correct. Yukihira's movements do have a vitality to them that his other cooking matches have certainly lacked."

The chef was now whisking his eggs, his movements swift and practiced. The empty silence that had become his trademark was absent. His whisk clanked against the bowl with each revolution. His gaze was focused, but not emotionless. It was very similar to how he'd cooked in the past.

' _What is he making…'_ wondered Erina. She couldn't shake the nagging thought that she knew. It went beyond the familiarity of Yukihira's life filled movements at the stove. She felt like she knew this dish. She'd seen it before. But she couldn't figure out where. Sōma opened the pot, glancing inside of it. He brought out a square pan, placing it beside the pot, before ladling its contents into the pan.

The smell of the pot's contents were finally allowed to spread, and it hit Erina like a bolt of lightning. Chicken. Sake. Soy Sauce.

The smells took her back to that first day. Her first meeting with the red headed, plebian annoyance known as Yukihira Sōma.

"This…this is…"

"Erina-chan?" Megumi asked questioningly, seeing the girl look shaken. Thankfully, it wasn't the ashen, fear induced trembling she was prone to in her father's presence. It was simple shock and surprise. Just lots of it.

Down below, the contestants continued cooking, their dishes continuing to take shape. Alice took the _sous vide_ prepared egg yolks and breaded them with flour, dipping them into a raw egg yolk before covering them in bread crumbs. Her fingers danced, coating each egg perfectly as she prepared them for the next stage of her cooking.

"It appears that Alice-san will be using some sort of frying technique, if her breading is any indication. Meanwhile Sōma-kun seems to be chilling a pan of his stock! What could he possibly be doing with it?"

Neither participant showed any hesitation in their motions. Sōma stirred. Alice blended. Sōma chopped. Alice seasoned. Back and forth they both went, displaying talent that had both the crowd and the judges gasping in awe as they waited, expectant.

Soon, they were both finished. Alice's judging was first. She brought her dishes forward on plates covered by simple metal domes that you would see in any restaurant, an oddly mundane departure for the girl known as the child of gastronomy.

The judges uncovered their plates, revealing a deceptively simple dish. Each plate held three round objects. It was unclear just what exactly they were because each object sat in a soft white bubble, the plates ringed with simple, stalked parsley garnish.

" _Sous Vide Egg Yolk Croquette with Bubbled Gruyere Foam._ " said Alice, presenting her dish with a flourish. "When you are ready to eat them, please just use your utensil to pop the bubble. You can then just eat with your fingers, if that is your preference."

The third judge leaned in, looking the dish over in interest.

"Impressive. You've made the gruyere foam to such a consistency that it can retain a bubble, even through your handling of the plate."

He picked up his spoon, gently tapping the first orb on his plate. The bubble didn't really pop so much as collapse inward, bathing the egg croquette in its new liquid form. The smell it released was heavenly and the judge almost knocked the plate over in his haste to grab it. He picked up the egg, giving it one more cursory sniff before popping it into his mouth.

"The…the egg yolk. It's so tender, almost like custard, and the crispiness of the exterior adds a new level of texture to the meal. And the seasonings of the coating align perfectly with the taste of the yolk center which…hmm…what seasoning is this?"

"Truffle salt." said Alice with a wink. "It gives the croquettes an earthy undertone that goes perfectly with the cheesy overtones of the gruyere foam."

The other judges had wasted no time following their colleague's example and extolled the dishes as well, praising Alice's fine work at every turn. Soon the plates were completely empty, only remnants of the foamy gruyere sauce left.

"It seems our judges really liked Alice-san's dish! Now it's time for Sōma to show us just what he's prepared to counter the heaven sent child of molecular gastronomy!"

Sōma wheeled his cart forward, placing a bowl of steaming rice in front of each judge. He held up a rectangular bowl in his hand, angling it so the judges could see its contents, which seemed to consist of fluffy egg curds.

"Is that… _Furikake_?" the second judge asked, eyeing the springy egg flakes.

"Indeed it is. But you need to look deeper." said Sōma with a soft smile.

The judge blinked, surprised. He looked to his fellow judge for confirmation only to see the older man staring at the boy in shock. He'd judged several of the boy's shokugekis this week, and never once had he seen his lips so much as twitch during the entire match. On top of that, he usually just served his dishes and let the food speak for itself, as opposed to actually going out of his way to present them, as he was doing now.

"It's as I thought." muttered Erina, staring down at the bowl the boy held. It brought back memories, memories she found herself a little embarrassed of now. Memories of a pettier, more vindictive Nakiri Erina.

' _I sincerely apologize for trying to bar your entrance into this school all those months ago, Sōma-kun._ '

Now if only she got the chance (and the courage) to say the words to him in person.

"What is just as you thought, Erina-chan?" asked Megumi.

"That dish he's making…I recognize it. It's what Yukihira-kun cooked for his transfer examination."

"Oh, it's the dish that got him into Tōtsuki? The one Senzaemon-sama liked even though you told him it was disgusting?"

Erina averted her eyes, pointedly looking away from Megumi's playful grin. She'd already been forced to admit she was wrong for what she did more than once to the blue haired girl. That doesn't mean she had to like having it rubbed in her face.

"Such a simple dish. It's an odd choice for Yukihira now." commented Ryo. The Central chef's dish choice had leaned more towards high class cuisine as of late, another noted change to his distinctive style. He watched the chef pour the furikake over the judges' rice, each of them gasping as the layer of aspic was revealed and subsequently melted on top of the rice, releasing a heavily scented mix of soy sauce and chicken.

The first judge picked up his chopsticks, looking down at the meal before him. He gulped nervously but steeled himself, reaching forward and grabbing a small bite. He raised to his nose experimentally, going weak in the knees as he got the full force of the chicken broth.

He took a bite, the flavor bursting into his mouth. He chewed, tasting the various components, but found himself questioning the dish. It tasted wonderfully. It was so amazing, he found himself in heaven, walking among angels as they teased him and circled him with harps. It was simply magnificent, especially for something so common, so why did he feel so confused?

And then he realized. This meal was enjoyable. It's something he wanted to keep eating, bite after bite. A feeling that had been noticeably lacking from every single one of Sōma's dishes. Abandoning his questions, he dug in, taking scoop after scoop.

Everyone. The crowd. Urara. Even the other judges. Watched as the first judge ate, ready for him to stop and put his chopsticks down, anger and displeasure filling his face. But he never did that, instead continuing to eat, a smile filling his features.

"The gelatin bonds so well with the rice! The chicken's flavor is dispersed throughout the meal, which only enhances the egg's fluffy impact. It's…it's…"

He put the bowl down, not a single grain of rice left inside of it. Unseen to all, angels danced around him, harp music echoing through his head. A goofy smile was on his face.

"Divine."

At his words, the other judges tore into the food, eager to finally taste a dish from Yukihira Sōma that didn't leave them filled with directionless negative energy. They praised the meal, citing the spring onions garnish giving the meal a refreshing aftertaste and praising the egg's consistency, which gave the dish a perfectly fluffy texture.

" _Transforming Furikake Gohan_." Sōma said proudly, the smile on his face a little wider than it was. He turned to the crowd, who talked amongst each other urgently. Just when they thought that they had this new Sōma pegged, he went and did something that showed them that, even as he was, the first year was as unpredictable as ever.

"It appears the judges are really enjoying the meal. Would you like to tell us anything about it, Sōma-kun?"

Urara asked the question out of a sense of politeness and procedure, but she was shocked when Sōma stepped forward, leaning into the mic she held out.

"It's a fairly simple commoner's dish, Kawashima-chan. The furikake is one of the most basic Japanese condiments. You can find several different kinds of furikake in convenience stores and supermarkets all across the country. But this particular brand of furikake isn't in any super market. It can only be found at the hands of a Yukihira chef."

Urara recovered quickly, smiling brightly at him.

"I think all of us are wondering the same thing, Sōma-kun. In all of your previous matches this week, you seem to have gone out of your way to stay away from anything resembling a "commoner's dish". Even when it would've been simplest to just do something basic, you took the extra effort to make it something worthy of a gourmet restaurant. What changed with this particular shokugeki?"

Sōma's smile fell a little.

"Let's just call it a reminder. To everyone I've met, including someone in particular, that you can't just recline in your seat of honor at the top and look down on the rest of the cooking world. Any dish can have value if it's given the respect it deserves."

Urara turned to the crowd. She was tempted to point out how such a statement almost completely contradicted the doctrine that Central proclaimed, but she was the host of a battle, not a talk show. It wasn't her place to get philosophical.

"And there you have it folks! The judges are deliberating, and soon we will know who won in this shokugeki. Will it be Nakiri Alice's egg croquettes? Or Yukihira Sōma's twist on a common Japanese topping?"

" _Ne_ , Kawashima-chan, I actually have one more thing to say."

"Ah, apologies Sōma-kun! Here you are." Urara said, handing the mic back over to the cook.

He looked at the judges' table, where the men were going back and forth, pointing at each of their plates in turn, caught up in an intense debate. He looked at Alice, whose eyes were on him, a playful smile on her lips. He raised the mic to his mouth.

"Please cease your deliberation, honored judges."

The head judge looked up, adjusting his glasses as he spoke.

"Our apologies for the delay, Yukihira-san. But I'm afraid this is a close match. We will need just a bit more time."

"No, you won't. Because I forfeit this match to Nakiri Alice."

No one moved. No one spoke. No one even breathed. With the noted exception of Nakiri Alice who laughed, her voice carrying over the suddenly silent arena.

"Oh, Sōma-kun! You are simply too kind. Although I fear your kindness was unnecessary here."

Sōma shrugged, his smile gone as his previous calm started to slowly reassert itself.

"I suppose we'll never know, Nakiri-ojou."

He left the arena, his hands tucked into his pockets. Alice followed after him, babbling excitedly at his back, needling him over the win he'd just given over to her. The only sounds that could be heard besides her voice were the scuff of their shoes across the floor and the clink of Sōma's chain, rattling from its place inside his pocket.

As the doors closed behind them, Sōma was almost immediately confronted by a man in a dark suit and sunglasses. A coiled earpiece hung out of his left ear.

"Yukihira-dono. Nakiri-sama requests your presence in his office."

Sōma looked at the guard amusedly, pulling the chain from his pocket.

"It seems there's no rest for the wicked." He said, wrapping the chain around his hand. With each loop, his posture straightened and his stance widened. The air about him changed, almost physically, as he went to secure the final links together. Before he could close the latch, a soft pale hand snatched one end of the chain, holding it off to the side.

"Such an odd affectation, Sōma-kun. It almost reminds me of Ryo-kun's bandana." Said Alice, stroking the silver links idly. "I must say though, I preferred your little headband much more."

Sōma grinned wryly, his golden eyes once again blank.

"I can't say I disagree with you, Nakiri-ojou."

She removed her hand and Sōma secured the chain ends together. The grin fell from his lips almost instantly and his eyes hardened, glancing over at the burly security guard.

"Move on ahead without me, Hoshi. I will follow along shortly."

The suited man looked down at the chef, weighing the situation.

"Nakiri-sama said he wanted you along urgently. I am to escort you."

"Then wait down the hall. Outside of the exit doors. I will be there in but a moment."

"But I was told-"

Sōma looked up at the taller man, his expression falling into one of displeasure.

"Hoshi. I am well aware of Nakiri-sama's orders. Know your place and don't seek to correct those who are above you."

Hoshi grit his teeth but then his earpiece started to crackle. He held it to his ear for a moment before giving Sōma one last annoyed glance and moving down the hall. Alice chuckled, making no attempt to conceal her laughter.

"My, Sōma-kun. So unforgiving with the help. It's almost inspiring to see how far you've come under Azami-oji."

He said nothing in response and Alice glanced over, rolling her eyes at the look of distaste he was giving her.

"Let's focus on what matters here. Do I have your support?"

Alice dropped her smile, looking Sōma up and down with an almost critical stare.

"For the time being you do, Sōma-kun. However long that remains the case is up to you."

Sōma clicked his tongue, moving past her to walk down the hall after the security guard.

"I suppose that will do for now then, Nakiri-ojou."

"Ah, before you go, Sōma-kun. Remember our other condition?"

He turned to face her, finding her smiling impishly as she held out a little breaded ball to him, along with a tiny plastic saucer of sauce.

"I want to see your false tongue in action."

Sōma took the offering, lightly dipping the croquette in the sauce.

"There is nothing false about my palate, I assure you."

He took a bite, closing his eyes as he chewed and then swallowed. After a few seconds, his eyes snapped open.

"There are over seventy flaws in this dish, twenty three of them being critical. The egg yolk is of inconsistent texture, indicating a failure to properly utilize the Sous Vide machine. The bread crumbs are seasoned in patches, completely overpowering in some areas while nonexistent in others. The gruyere is cold, with solid bits of cheese scattered throughout, another indication of a failure to properly heat it through. There is also clearly too much truffle salt added to the yolk mixture. The amount of oil…"

Sōma continued on, rattling off failures one after another. He reached two dozen before finally breaking off, gasping as he locked eyes with the mischievous Nakiri. His calm was completely broken as he panted, tossing the uneaten portion aside, uncaring of where it landed.

"What…what did you do?"

Alice smiled, not a hint of malice shown in her expression.

"It's just a little something I do to mess with Erina. I purposely cooked a separate little sample just for you, Sōma-kun. It seems your palate is indeed just as sensitive as hers, somehow."

She looked into his blank golden eyes, the momentary surprise gone from them. She had taken him off guard, but the Yukihira chef had recovered quickly. Much more quickly than her cousin usually did. Such a terribly prepared food would have her cousin furious at her for at least ten minutes.

"My apologies, Sōma-kun. I'm a scientist, after all, and I simply had to perform a little experiment on you."

She clapped her hands and tilted her head at him, almost mockingly.

"It seems you are truly worthy of the name you're been earning for yourself over the past week."

He eyed her, folding his arms, the chain on his wrist clinking against itself.

"And what name would that be, Nakiri-ojou?"

Alice smiled even wider, her eyes mere red slits.

"Oh, haven't you heard? There've been several names thrown around for you. Central's Puppet. Azami's Dog. The Black Jewel. But there's one that's gained prominence above them all, one that you earned through your emulation of my dearest cousin."

She said nothing further, waiting for Sōma to take the bait.

"If you're truly willing to support me, I'm afraid I won't have the time for your usual games, Nakiri-ojou."

"Fine, fine." She laughed, swatting Sōma on the arm as she walked past him, towards the doors that would take her back towards the arena.

"I bid farewell to the man that bears the _Nisegami no Shita_."

She smiled, not that Sōma could see it.

"Tongue of the False God…it suits you, wouldn't you say, Sōma-kun?"

She didn't give him time to respond, instead exiting through the hallway, back to the discord that they had left in their wake.


	4. Chapter 4

Sōma walked down the hallway towards the director's office, his stride purposeful. He'd left Hoshi behind at the door, the security officer guarding the entrance to the corridor to ensure that no one entered after him. As he turned the final corner that would take him to his destination, he spotted a person leaning against the wall, as if waiting for him.

That long, maroon hair and fanged grin could belong to only one person at Tōtsuki.

"Someone's in trouble!" singsonged Kobayashi Rindō, the second seat of the Elite Ten. She smiled widely at Sōma, kicking off of the wall and walking towards him, swinging her hands childishly. She stopped before him, looking up into his flat, emotionless eyes.

"Awww, Sōma-kun, what's the matter? Not happy to see me?"

Sōma said nothing, instead just maintaining eye contact with the mischievous third year student. After a while, she pouted, bumping him with her shoulder.

"You're such a meanie these days, Sōma-kun! So quiet and distant, I swear. If I didn't know better, I would think you hated me."

"I can assure you Rindō-senpai that I do not hate you in the least."

Despite his dry tone, she smiled as if he'd just complimented her and laughed, throwing an arm around his shoulder.

"It's fine, Sōma-kun. No need to butter me up, I'm sure you're all geared up for your meeting with Azami-sama. Good luck in there, ok?"

She patted him on the back, almost shoving him towards the door, earning herself an annoyed glance. Regardless Sōma walked forward, knocking politely on the door that bore Nakiri Azami's name in gold lettering. A few seconds went by.

"Enter."

He opened the door, stepping into a well-lit office that spoke of the wealth and power Azami wielded as both a Nakiri and Tōtsuki's director. The furniture was all hand carved mahogany and teak, the finish glossy. Paintings adorned the walls, few in number but clearly of notable worth, if the frames were anything to go by. A large oaken desk sat near the back of the room, facing the door, allowing its occupant to see anyone that entered the office. It was mostly empty, barring a few neatly stacked folders and the hands and elbows of the most powerful man in Tōtsuki.

Azami stared at Sōma from across his folded hands as he stepped in front of him, standing smartly with his hands at his sides. Almost a minute ticked by before he finally spoke.

"Greetings, Sōma-kun. Take a seat, please."

Sōma didn't respond verbally, instead just choosing to sit down in one of the chairs in front of the large desk, facing his leader. Azami's dark eyes followed him closely, saying nothing as he watched the boy get settled. Another lull in silence passed before he chose to speak.

"I trust I do not need to explain to you why I have summoned you before me."

"I presume it is due to my forfeiture to Nakiri-ojou in the shokugeki I had with her earlier today."

Azami didn't say anything, his lack of response enough indication that Sōma was correct.

"Nakiri-sama, I believed it prudent to surrender to her for the sake of Central's continued reputation with the overall student body of Tōtsuki."

Azami looked at Sōma, meeting the boy's flat gaze with his own emotionless stare.

"Elaborate."

"Nakiri-ojou has been the captain of the Cutting Edge RS for over two years now. Despite this, her involvement with the club has been minimal. She utilizes the club's facilities for her own personal projects but, other than that, has no interaction with the research society. They run almost independently of her, but their membership is lacking and their events are few and far between, direct consequences of both poor leadership and exemplifying such a niche genre of cooking."

Sōma gestured with his hand, as if to toss them aside.

"Ultimately, we lose nothing by allowing them to continue as they were. Their increased resource allocation is meaningless, as Nakiri-ojou hasn't submitted any sort of proposals or requests during her entire tenure as captain, and the club itself is unable to do these things without her approval, something they've clearly failed to acquire. However, we gain much by allowing them to succeed over us in a shokugeki. It shows that we have some sense of consideration to the students and their needs. I concede that the decision was a bit impulsive. But I found her performance more than adequate enough to warrant the minimal risk to Central's reputation that such a decision entailed."

Azami leaned back in his chair, steeping his fingers as he intently regarded the boy before him. Lesser men would find themselves cowed before such a look but Sōma had grown more than used to the dark clad Nakiri's mannerisms.

"Your logic is sound, Sōma-kun. In addition, the loss was to my niece, a scion of the Nakiri household. Our reputation remains mostly unscathed by such a defeat."

Sōma's face didn't move, almost dismissive of the seemingly sincere praise.

"However I'm unable to ignore that your actions were unsanctioned by either myself or the rest of the Elite Ten. While your plan was well thought out, and more than acceptable, you still should've followed proper procedure before choosing to enact it yourself. There are consequences for breaching protocol."

"I understand, Nakiri-sama. I apologize for my indiscretion. What would you have me do?"

Azami reached over and opened a folder, glancing at it briefly before sliding it towards Sōma, who picked it up.

"As it stands, today is going to be quite busy for you, Sōma-kun. There are several tasting jobs that were pushed back to facilitate the various shokugekis you took part in this past week. I expect you to be finished with this entire folder by Sunday evening."

Sōma leafed through the folder, taking in each paper with a trained eye. There were over a dozen tasting jobs inside. Jobs that required detailed critiques, written reviews and pandering to wealthy egos. Things Nakiri Erina had never had to trouble herself with, between the respect she got as the natural born owner of God's Tongue and her well trained support staff. Those were luxuries Sōma himself didn't have.

"I understand, Nakiri-sama. May I take my leave, so as to begin immediately?"

"You may."

Sōma got up, bowing deeply towards the man that led Central, before moving to exit the office. As he grasped the handle, Azami spoke up.

"Oh, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma paused, waiting.

"I noticed you weren't wearing your leash during the match you had with my niece. May I inquire as to why?"

Sōma didn't say anything for a moment, his back towards Azami. Eventually, he turned.

"You must accept my apologies, Nakiri-sama. The clasp links broke right before the match and I didn't have the time to repair them beforehand."

Azami's eyes glanced at the silver links resting on the chef's left wrist, as if inspecting their integrity. If he doubted the boy's words, he didn't show it.

"I see. Do ensure you do a better job of maintaining it in the future. It goes without saying that I do not tolerate excuses. You may leave."

Sōma bowed again before exiting the office, the large door closing behind him with a muffled click. Azami looked at the door, where he could hear the noises of conversation as the second seat engaged the tenth, the sound steadily drifting away.

It seemed Sōma was attempting to play his own little game inside of Tōtsuki. His attempts weren't without some skill, but Azami had been playing games such as these since before Sōma was even born. Where he would normally be angered at such insolence, he actually found himself feeling amused, the way a lion is amused by its cub's attempts to fight back.

' _It seems I haven't been as thorough with you as I need to be, Sōma-kun.'_

* * *

"So what'd Azami-sama do to you, hmm?"

Sōma rolled his eyes at the prattling of the cat eyed woman beside him. He hadn't done anything to encourage the conversation, yet she still seemed determined to make him speak.

"He merely brought my attention to the fact that my actions, regardless of their merit, were not sanctioned. Something he finds unacceptable, as you well know, Rindō-senpai."

"Yea, Azami-sama isn't big on people doing things he's not aware of. I don't know how he has the patience for such micromanagement." sighed Rindō. She skipped down the stairs before them, Sōma following at a sedate pace, his chain clinking with his movements.

"That's part of why you'll never be a great leader, Rindō-senpai." pointed out Sōma, paging through the manila folder he held in his hands as they made it to the next floor, uncaring for watching his progress down the steps.

"As the second seat of the Elite Ten, I'll have you know I'm a wonderful leader!"

"Is that why your signature so resembles Tsukasa-senpai's these days?" deadpanned Sōma, quirking his scarred eyebrow at the girl who didn't even have the decency to look abashed. She just smiled and gave him a thumbs up, as if approving his deduction.

"Is it my fault Tsukasa's such an obsessive little paper pusher? I swear, it's like he thinks the school will collapse if we don't do every single little form in triplicate!"

"It's a necessary measure, Rindō-senpai. Most forms of paperwork at the school are needed in triplicate. The original for Tōtsuki's official records and a copy for both the Elite Ten Council and the Director's office. It's called record keeping."

"It's called BORING!" she shouted the last word in Sōma's ear, briefly startling him, engrossed as he was in reviewing his appointments for the day. It seemed that, among Kobayashi Rindō's many other talents, she also had the ability to get under Sōma's skin. Something that even his old friends would find challenging these days.

"Do you not have somewhere to be, Rindō-senpai?" he asked, closing the folder and tucking it under his arm.

"Technically, I should be reviewing the case files of your wins this past week, so we can allocate the reclaimed budgets from all of those clubs you destroyed."

"Which means you're using the free time provided to you by Tsukasa-senpai's neuroses to your full advantage then?"

Rindō laughed, the sound rich and loud. It would've been unbecoming of a lady if it hadn't been so positively full of life and amusement. She patted Sōma on the back.

"Such a straight shooter. Just one of the things I find so cute about you, Sōma-kun."

They stopped before a door, where murmured conversation could be heard through it.

"Knock 'em dead, Sōma-kun!"

Rindō started to skip off, but not before snaking her hand out and pinching Sōma on the butt. He jumped, then glared at the retreating profile of Tōtsuki's strongest female student as she walked away snickering. As she got to the end of the hall, she turned back to him and winked, rounding the corner, her maroon hair being the last glimpse he caught of her.

Sōma sighed, shaking his head, before turning back to the door.

He opened it and walked inside, conversation halting at his entrance. There were tables spread throughout the room, with a variety of different professionals seated throughout the room. Chefs. Agents. Restaurant owners. All were clearly waiting on Sōma and it showed in the impatience of their bearings.

"Greetings, esteemed guests. My apologies for the wait. Let's begin."

"And just who are you?" asked a dark haired man in a suit, a cellphone held to his ear.

Sōma looked over at him, eyeing him briefly and taking him in. With barely a pause, he responded.

"I am here to taste your dishes on behalf of the Nakiri family. My name is Yukihira Sōma. I was under the impression that you had been notified in advance of my presence."

"I got the memo, but I assumed there must have been some sort of mistake. We didn't book an appointment with any Yukihira Sōma. We booked an appointment with the God's Tongue."

Sōma's expression didn't change, but the atmosphere in the room shifted, tension growing where there had been none before. The other seated guests looked at the chef warily, wondering if he was the source of such an unpleasant aura. As he began to speak, it became clear that he was.

"I simply must apologize."

There wasn't a hint of apology in his tone.

"Nakiri Erina is still unavailable. My talents have been judged more than sufficient to act as her temporary replacement. If you are not pleased with my evaluation, you are free to submit your concerns to Nakiri Azami directly."

His gaze swept the room, speaking to the room.

"Of course, the fee has been greatly reduced as compensation for Erina's absence."

Despite his assurances, the man in the suit didn't appear reassured in the least. He snapped off a parting remark into his phone before snapping it shut, putting it in his pocket.

"Listen, boy. We booked this appointment months in advance. I didn't come all of this way with my restaurant's best chefs to be passed off to some impudent upstart critic. I demand to speak with Azami-san immediately."

Sōma looked the man up and down, his mind working behind his blank stare. He didn't usually like to lead these meetings with a show of force, but he couldn't afford to appear weak either. He simply didn't have the time. Or inclination.

"You are the representative for the Ishikawa restaurant, correct?"

"That's right." He bit out, crossing his arms irritably.

Sōma looked to one of the many serving staff that stood at attention on either side of the room.

"Please bring the dishes for the Ishikawa restaurant forward please."

"Right away, Yukihira-sama." The man bowed, before walking off, gesturing to another employee to follow him. As they exited the room through a side door, the executive turned on Sōma, his face starting to turn red.

"Now you listen here! The Ishikawa restaurant is one of the premier sushi restaurants in Tokyo! We've had a 3 star Michelin rating for over ten years. My men have been slaving away all morning on these dishes, making them specifically for Nakiri Erina's otherworldly palate. I won't have your presumption ruin hours of extensive preparation and-"

Sōma held up his finger, cutting the man off as the waiters returned, wheeling in carts with a variety of covered dishes placed on them. They wheeled them directly in between Sōma and the executive, who turned and shouted at them.

"Return those to the kitchen this instant! The fish must be kept chilled at-"

"Don't presume to give orders to my staff, Makashima-san."

Sōma's voice had dropped lower, barely more than a polite whisper, but it was enough to more than double the tension already present in the serving room. For the first time, the businessman faltered, momentarily stunned by the almost palpable venom in the red head's tone.

Sōma removed the covering of the plate before him, observing an array of sushi laid out in neat rows. He picked up a piece of seaweed wrapped fish, his chain catching the light as he brought it to his mouth. He popped it into his mouth, chewing the morsel as he closed his eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, his eyes snapped open, locking onto Makashima's with a molten intensity that was in complete contrast to his previous withdrawn attitude. The businessman couldn't help but take a step back, wondering why he felt like he'd made some grave error.

* * *

The door opened, hours having passed since Sōma had first entered. The cooking delegates started to stream out, discussing their assessments in quiet tones. Trailing them, Sōma walked alongside a portly gentlemen in a tailored suit who talked animatedly as he left the room.

"That was most impressive, Yukihira-kun! I've never been evaluated by Nakiri Erina myself but I must say, your tasting skills seem to be just as good, if not better!"

Sōma shook his head, waving off the compliment.

"Your words are too kind, Kushima-san. I'm pleased you found my skills adequate."

"More than adequate!" the man boasted, clapping Sōma on the shoulder. He reached into his pocket, handing Sōma a business card.

"If you ever find yourself seeking alternative employment, please give me a call. I'd be more than delighted to have you."

Sōma took the card, tucking it into his jacket pocket.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Please have a nice day, Kushima-san."

The man shook Sōma's hand enthusiastically before waving and heading down the hall, leaving Sōma alone at the door way. He closed the door, listening to the soft clinks and clatters of the serving staff tidying up the room behind him. He walked over to the head table, where several papers were strewn about. He tossed the business card into a garbage bin as he passed it by, taking a seat behind the table.

He collected the papers together, organizing them into some semblance of order, before getting to work. He moved through the paper work smoothly, his pen dancing across the surface as he noted down his assessments. He made note of which dishes were adequate for serving, which needed improvement before being served to a customer and which needed to be abandoned entirely. He marked down ratings for each separate dish, judging them on their flavor, their impact and ability to transition into the customer's palate.

Engrossed as he was, he didn't notice when the serving staff left, done clearing the tasting area. He also didn't notice when the door opened almost an hour later, admitting one Mito Ikumi, who then proceeded to stand in front of the desk, watching him write for almost a full minute. She was clad in her usual Tōtsuki uniform, although her shirt was left unrolled and buttoned almost all the way up to her cleavage.

"Sōma-kun."

Sōma paused, his pen hovering, before he looked up.

"My apologies, Ikumi. I didn't see you."

"I'm not surprised. From what I'm seeing here, it looks like you've been at it for hours."

She pulled a chair up, taking a seat across the table from him, idly glancing over a few of the completed forms.

"Hour. Singular." He corrected mildly, checking his watch.

Ikumi raised an eyebrow at him.

"You did all of this paperwork in just one hour?"

Sōma allowed himself a small smile and he looked up at her.

"I've had to grow quite adept at paperwork recently, Ikumi."

"That's putting it mildly." She muttered, trying and failing to count just how many pages of inked out paper sat before her. "So how did Azami take your forfeit to Alice-san?"

Sōma had gone back to writing, his eyes roving over the assessment form in front of him. Without looking up at her, Sōma clicked his tongue chidingly.

"Come now, Ikumi. It's unbecoming to show such disrespect to Azami-sama."

"That bastard doesn't deserve a single ounce of my respect after what he's done." growled Ikumi, glaring off to the side.

"While you are free to feel how you feel Ikumi, it is still important to show respect and discretion where it is expected."

His eyes flickered upwards at something over Ikumi's head.

"After all..."

"You never know just who might be listening."

Ikumi squeaked, her face blanching as she turned to stare into the darkly frowning face of the second seat of the Elite Ten. Rindō's yellow eyes practically gleamed in the low light as she leaned uncomfortably close to the Meat Master, who was petrified where she sat.

"I wonder what Azami-sama would say if he knew someone as lowbrow as you had the audacity to disrespect him in front of not one but TWO Elite Ten Council members."

Rindō licked her lips, leaning even further in, almost nose to nose with the girl, who couldn't seem to look away from her slitted gaze.

"Oh yes. I'm sure he'd be quite…displeased."

"Rindō-senpai, please." said Sōma flatly, bored of the gluttonous third year's usual antics.

Almost as if a switch had been flipped, Rindō leaned back, suddenly all smiles and cheer.

"Sōma-kun, I swear, you never let me have any fun."

"As your junior, I don't think I have the authority to "let" you do anything." said Sōma, leafing through the bundle of completed papers, checking to ensure that there was nothing amiss.

"Yea, but you're such a killjoy. I swear. I used to think Nene was a stick in the mud, but you really take the cake when you're ready."

Sōma ignored her comment, the implied insult having no effect. He looked up at Ikumi, who still appeared shaken as she tried to edge as far away from Rindō as she could without completely falling out of her seat.

"Ikumi, please relax. Rindō-senpai was only having some fun with you. You can be assured that she has no intention of reporting you to Azami-sama."

Rindō whistled casually, smiling and nodding at the blonde in a way that did absolutely nothing to comfort her.

"Although I find it fair to warn you that she chooses to refrain from such actions out of laziness as opposed to kindness."

Rindō pouted, the expression half sincere.

"Oh, Sōma-kun, don't be like that."

She moved around the table, coming to stand behind Sōma. With an exaggerated yawn, she draped herself over the boy's shoulders, the movement startling Ikumi.

"I can be quite kind when I want to be." She stage whispered in his ear, her eyes firmly locked onto Ikumi's uncomfortable form.

Sōma seemed completely unaffected by the beautiful woman draped over his shoulders, instead taking the opportunity to put his pen down and lean back into her hold, almost comfortably reclining. Neither he nor Rindō missed the way Ikumi's eyes widened at his actions.

"Ikumi, please pay no mind to Rindō-senpai. Getting used to her particular brand of…humour…takes some time."

"That's…that's fine, Sōma-kun." Ikumi said, averting her eyes, praying her tanned cheeks didn't look as red as they felt. "Am I to assume that she's part of the reason you asked me to come here?"

Sōma nodded.

"Indeed. I'm planning to leave you in her care for the time being."

Ikumi looked up at the catlike woman, who was idly running one of her hands through Sōma's spiky red hair. She grinned back at the Meat General, her teeth almost unnaturally bright.

"Ah, is that a good idea Sōma-kun? She seems so fragile. I wouldn't want to break her."

Sōma shifted his eyes to Ikumi, his gaze probing, causing her to flush and avert her gaze.

"That's Rindō-senpai's way of saying 'Ikumi-san, this could be quite difficult. Are you sure you're ready for this?' It's her way of saying she cares, Ikumi."

Rindō rolled her eyes, neither confirming nor denying Sōma's assertion. She stood up, detaching herself from the red head before she strolled around the table, taking in Ikumi's form. She leaned down, her playful look replaced with a serious one as she eyed the blonde who still seemed determined to avoid her gaze.

"Look at me, _Chichi-chan_."

"Who're you calling Chichi?!" snapped Ikumi, standing up abruptly from her seat. Rindō smiled almost menacingly as she locked her yellow eyes with Ikumi's green, who showed no sign of backing down from the intimidating aura of the second seat.

"It seems like someone's found their backbone. It's good to know you're not a total kitten."

"Can you work with her, Rindō-senpai?" asked Sōma, cutting the staring contest short. Rindō glanced over at Sōma, shrugging her shoulders.

"You know these things are never one hundred percent, Sōma-kun. But…"

She looked back over at Ikumi, who was still glaring at her for her overly familiar form of address. She smiled.

"There's some fire there. I'm pretty good with fire. I'm sure I can yield results. As to exactly what those results will be-"

"I know." said Sōma, looking at his watch and taking in the time. "I have faith in your abilities, Rindō-senpai. When can you begin?"

"Immediately."

Sōma looked at her questioningly.

"What about your seat duties…ah."

He sighed.

"Tsukasa-senpai. I must truly apologize."

"Nah, I would've shirked all of that boring crap one way or another, so it's pretty much my fault alone." Rindō said, looking almost proud as she sat herself on the edge of the table, eschewing the many chairs about the room.

"I know that, Rindō-senpai. But one of us has to have some compassion here."

"That's a pretty surprising thing to hear from you these days, Sōma-kun." interjected Ikumi, more than a little bit critically. Rindō laughed, kicking her legs back and forth.

"Oh, she's a quick one, Sōma-kun. I like her already. Good choice."

"It was more of a mutual decision than anything else, Rindō-senpai." said the tenth seat, beginning to stand as he gathered up the paperwork into the manila folder it had originated from. He found a little less than half of his work already stacked and handed to him by Ikumi, who smiled softly at him, dropping a bit of the tough exterior she was known for.

"A decision I hope Ikumi doesn't come to regret."

Ikumi sighed, the brief spot of happiness gone from her face.

"For the last time, would you just stop? It's not like I'd quit on you now. Not like this."

"It is a bit late for that, isn't it?" he asked, almost bemusedly, performing one final check on all of his papers. He frowned before thumbing through the stack again, and glancing around the desk.

"Ikumi-chan, would you be a dear and get everything on this list? We'll need it."

Rindō handed a paper to the busty chef, surprising her. She glanced over it, nodding once or twice.

"This shouldn't be a problem. When do we need this by, Rindō-senpai?"

"By this evening, preferably."

Ikumi blinked, looking out the window at the sky which was already starting to turn pink. She gasped, looking back at the innocent face of the second seat.

"But...it's almost sunset as it is! What do you consider evening, Rindō senpai?!"

Rindō shrugged, watching Sōma flip through his folder again and then look around the table.

"As far as I'm concerned, once the first star's out, the evening's started. Which means you don't have all that much time."

Rindō grinned impishly, the look completed by her prominent canines.

"I'm not big on excuses. Or time. So I'd hop to it if I were you."

Ikumi looked over the list frantically one final time, before bolting, shouting a hasty farewell to Sōma as she left, slamming the door behind her.

"Rindō-senpai, can I have that form back now?" asked Sōma, his voice unamused.

Rindō was tempted to toy with the boy a little more but she relented, reaching into her uniform jacket pocket and pulling out a paper that she handed over to him.

"You realize she's head over heels for you right, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma paused in his paper shuffling.

"Are you certain you're not just reading far too deeply into her discomfort with your impropriety, Rindō-senpai?"

Rindō rolled her eyes.

"Did you see the way she looked at us the second I laid a finger on you? I've seen tomatoes that were less red than that."

Sōma said nothing, thinking back to his previous interactions with the Mito heiress. While he was hesitant to take anything Rindō said at face value, he had to admit it would explain why she seemed so…eager. Even now, with what he'd asked of her…

"I find it detestable that I'm forced to resort to such selfish games, Rindō-senpai."

Rindō seemed disinterested in the note of regret in Sōma's tone, idly munching at a stick of pocky.

"You know what they say, Sōma-kun. You can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. Speaking of which."

Her eyes flicked over to Sōma.

"Azami-sama asked me to inform you that you're expected back at the mansion this evening, no later than seven. He says it's time for another _session_."

Sōma looked back at the girl, evaluating exactly how serious she was, before silently heading towards the door, the snacking noises behind him indicating Rindō had chosen to follow in his wake.

"It's been quite some time since the previous session. I'm surprised Azami-sama would find one necessary, especially during the survivor's purge."

His tone was back to being blank and empty, void of any sort of warmth. It was the voice most of Tōtsuki had become used to as being Yukihira Sōma's.

"He didn't get into much detail with me, but it seems he wasn't completely won over by your justification to your loss to his niece." She said gleefully, nibbling at a large cookie she must've procured from the same place as the pocky.

"Once again, I find myself astounded by your capacity for empathy, Rindō-senpai."

Rindō grinned at Sōma around a mouthful of dough and chocolate chips.

"So do you think you're going to be in the dark room or the light room this time?"

Sōma shrugged, handing his folder off to the receptionist as he walked past her desk, exiting into the dusky outside.

"I personally prefer the dark room."

"Yea, but I'm sure he doesn't appreciate it."

Sōma looked up at the sky, which was settling into an array of red and pink, heralding the imminent sunset.

"No. But it's not as if he has anything to complain about when I'm the one stuck inside of the light room. I trust you can handle things for me while I'm away?"

Rindō blinked, unmindful of the chocolate smeared on her left cheek.

"I'm going to have my hands full with Ikumi-chan as it is, you know."

"I am aware. Don't worry, this next request is fairly trivial. I just need you to liaison with Nakiri-ojou in my stead. I fear that if I wait until I've returned, I will have lost my chance with her. She's made it clear that her support of me is fleeting, at best."

"Ah, so you've already worked towards pulling that girl into the fold? I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd be so daring from the onset."

"Are you saying I shouldn't be?" he asked, looking over at her. Rindō laughed, elbowing the overly serious boy.

"Of course not. I'm always down for anything that causes more excitement. I want to make my last few months here something to remember, Sōma-kun. And I think you're the one to help me do just that."

She looked over at the Yukihira chef, who met her gaze with eyes of golden steel.

"It would just be a shame if you tried too hard too fast and flamed out before you could really get going."

"I think you'll find me a more stubborn ember than you'd expect, Rindō-senpai."

With a grin, Rindō split off from him, heading down a separate path as he continued towards the Nakiri mansion. The wind carried her parting words to him.

"We shall see, Sōma-kun."

As he progressed up the pathway, his phone vibrated and he picked it up, thumbing the display open.

 _Sōma-kun, would you be a dear and forward Ikumi-chan's number to me? I meant to get it from her but I sent her off too quickly T_T_

If Sōma had been in a slightly different mood, he might've found the text message funny. As it were, he just sighed and shared the contact information before putting his phone away. He saw the long, dark town car that was Azami's personally preferred mode of transport, parked in front of the mansion gates, indicating the director's presence. The car that was usually designated to Alice was absent, indicating that she was out.

' _Something I'm almost certain Azami-sama orchestrated or capitalized on.'_

When dealing with Nakiri Azami, no coincidence could be taken for granted. As Sōma walked up the steps, the door was opened before him, the stern face of one of Azami's many guards greeting him.

"Nakiri-sama awaits you in the foyer, Yukihira-dono."

Sōma nodded, striding past him and heading into the main entrance area, where Azami stood, looking at a painting on the wall with an inscrutable expression on his face.

It was of a woman, with bright blonde hair and light purple eyes. She wore a yellow, floor length dress, the hem studded in pearls. She had a serene smile on her face and she had her hands folded daintily in her lap as she sat with poise in a high backed leather chair.

"Good evening, Sōma-kun."

Azami turned to Sōma, acknowledging his presence. The boy looked directly back at the Nakiri patriarch, awaiting instructions. They stared at each other, acknowledging their respective roles as master and servant, before Azami walked away, gesturing for Sōma to follow him.

"As I'm sure Kobayashi-kun informed you, we have a honing session tonight. Previously, we would hold these in the sub floors of the main administration building but I find myself nostalgic. I feel your abilities will benefit from being honed in the same place that I honed Erina's."

Sōma didn't respond, instead just following Azami as he took him down a single flight of stairs and through the halls, stopping at a particular door. One Sōma found familiar, despite never having been in this part of the mansion.

"Upon my return, I had this room restored to its true self. It seemed Senzaemon had changed it into a store room, but it was a trifle to change it back to what it truly was. The place that came so close to bearing fruit all those years ago."

Sōma looked towards Azami's back, his face impassive. The pride in the Nakiri's voice was unmistakable, something Sōma still found shocking, even after all this time. Azami opened the door, revealing its contents.

It was a fairly spacious room, which seemed even larger due to the utter sparsity of furniture. The only pieces inside were a dining room table and chair. A large trash can sat to the left of the chair and a single candle stood tall and lit on the table, barely illuminating the dark room in its glow. The few rays of the setting sunlight shone through the high window, doing little to improve the general gloom of the room.

"After you, Sōma-kun."

Sōma moved to step inside, but found his progress stymied by Azami's hand on his shoulder.

"Please give me your leash first, Sōma-kun."

Sōma paused in his first sign of hesitation since entering the mansion. He knew what such a request meant. It meant he was going to be subjected to the dark room. It was the method of training Azami chose when he felt Sōma needed to be punished for his insolence, to be taught obedience to him and him alone. It was a tactic aimed more at training Sōma himself, rather than training his palate.

"Yes, Nakiri-sama."

Sōma reached up to his wrist, disengaging the binding links. As he unwrapped the chain, his body shifted, curling in on itself more as his shoulders fell and his back lost its ramrod straight posture. To an outside observer, it would almost seem as if Sōma had physically shrunk after removing the chain, despite the impossibility of such a thing.

He handed the chain over to Azami, his hand trembling as his fingers brushed against Azami's gloved ones.

"Thank you, Sōma-kun. You may enter."

Sōma walked in, glancing around the room as if searching for a way out where there was none to be found. He sat himself in the chair, facing the open doorway, barely able to see across the room. Azami's figure was a menacing, formless shadow, seeming to stretch across the darkness separating them.

He waited in silence, nervously drumming his fingers on the table as Azami stood motionless. After a few minutes, he heard shuffling and he saw the director move to the side of the doorway, admitting a man in a servant's uniform. He was holding a projector that he quickly placed in front of Sōma, angling it to face the far, empty wall.

Sōma looked down at the piece of technology, trying his best to keep his face blank, as he usually did. It was markedly more difficult now, though. Especially in **this** place.

The servant left before returning, placing an array of numbered plates before Sōma. Each plate held identical grainy white powder. Sōma was familiar with this particular routine. A salt identification exercise. He would need to identify exactly which brand of salt was in which plate. The amount of brands utilized were randomized, and some of the plates no doubt held duplicate brands. It was a rigorous test of his skill. One Erina had passed when she was barely out of diapers.

On his final trip, the servant handed Sōma a pack of wooden skewers, along with a single cup of water and a small bell, before bowing hastily to Azami and exiting.

"I trust I don't need to explain the rules to you, Sōma-kun?" asked Azami, his tone not nearly as helpful as his words would have you believe.

"That is quite alright, Nakiri-sama. I remember them all." said Sōma, his tone one of wavering fear behind a thin veneer of confidence. It was a marked difference from the emotionless chef that had taken Tōtsuki by storm oh so recently.

"Wonderful. Then we shall begin. Please ring the bell when you are ready to be judged. "

Azami walked over, snuffing the candle with his gloved finger, leaving the light emitting from the open door as the only source of light in the room. Soon, that too was gone, the door closing and leaving Sōma alone in complete darkness. He stretched his left hand out, feeling along the edge of the table. Getting his bearings, he took up a skewer and touched it to his tongue, ensuring the wood was clean and flavorless.

He reached the skewer forward and to the left, the location of the first plate he'd found with his hand. He tapped it into the salt, hearing a dry crinkle as the wood disturbed the little pile. He brought the skewer up to his lips…

" _Otou-san_! Open the door, please!"

And broke it, his hand clenching around it. The projector had come to life, operated remotely most likely, and it projected an image on to the wall of Sōma's training room.

The image showed what appeared to be, at first glance, an eerie mirror of the room itself. It was, in fact, the exact same room. But the projected footage didn't have Yukihira Sōma in it. Instead, it had a young Nakiri Erina.

She was beating her small fists on the door of the room, calling for her father. Unfinished plates of food sat on the table in the room, the trash can overturned.

"I am truly sorry for this Erina."

The recorded voice sounded exactly as sorry as Nakiri Azami was prone to sounding.

"You have brought this on yourself. You've been a bad girl. Good girls listen to their fathers. Now I shall leave you to think about what you've done."

Erina wailed, tears running down her round face as she continued to pound on the door.

"I'm sorry, Father! I promise I'll listen. Just don't leave me in here by myself."

"It's the only way you'll learn Erina. Think about this the next time you choose to defy my will."

Sōma's eyes were glued to the wall, the broken splinters of the skewer still held between his fingers. He watched as Erina gave up, curling against the door and sobbing, her shoulders shaking. He tried to pick up another skewer but he found his concentration slipping, each cry resounding in his head as he felt tears start to well up in his own eyes.

By the time he picked up another skewer, Erina had been sobbing for almost fifteen minutes straight, knees covering her face as she leaned against the door. He dipped it into a plate, sampling the salt therein and making a mental note of its various properties. Or at least he tried to.

"Father, it's…it's cold. Can I have a blanket at least, please?"

Her voice was low and soft. Defeated. Far from the haughty tones Sōma had grown accustomed to hearing from the older Erina that he'd made it a point to squabble with before.

He licked his lips, almost automatically starting to categorize the salt concentration before stopping. It didn't match up with any of the brands he recognized…oh. Those were his tears.

He picked up another skewer, sampling and noting a different plate as Erina sat, calling out for a blanket.

"Father, are you there?"

A heartbeat. Then two. Sōma wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, before swiftly dipping another skewer into another salted plate.

"Father, are you still there? Did you leave me? Please, say something! I'm sorry!"

The five year old got up, running over to the table. She leaned down and tilted the garbage bin upright, before grabbing a plate. She picked up a fork and took a bite, chewing frantically.

"The seasoning drowns out the herbal ingredients that make this such an iconic dish and the meat was clearly left in the oven for too long! This one's the bad one Father, so I'm throwing it away! See? See?!"

Erina scraped the food into the trash bin, before thinking about it and throwing in the plate and utensils too. As she picked up the bin, awkwardly holding it in her hands, Sōma got another skewer and stabbed it into another plate.

"It's inferior food Father! I even threw away the things it touched, that's how…that's how worthless it is! So please, open the door! Tell me you didn't leave me here all alone."

Erina brought the trash forward, holding it out towards the camera, practically shoving the garbage into Sōma's face through the screen. He blinked harshly, clearing his eyes. He refused to let himself miss a single second. It would all serve as a reminder.

"Father, I know you're watching. Look! I listened! I'm a good girl really, I'm so sorry!"

Another wooden skewer met another ceramic plate. He gave up on drying his moist cheeks.

Erina dropped the garbage bin, its contents scattering across the floor as she grabbed the camera, shoving her face into it, her tear stricken visage taking up the entirety of the wall from Sōma's perspective.

"Please! I'm sorry. I'm really, really sorry! Just please open the door! Say something!"

Erina broke down again, the camera view skewed as it flipped over. She was clutching the recording device to her chest, and the image quickly became blurred as her tears fell on the lens.

"Please…please…"

Skewer. Plate. Tears.

Skewer. Plate. Tears.

Skewer. Plate. Tears.

* * *

Nakiri Erina was marching down the dorm hallway, more than a little irritated. She'd just been in the middle of her favorite manga, and had been forced to stop during a penultimate battle scene between the vampire factions when she'd heard Fumio's voice blaring through the pipes, informing her that she had a visitor in the entrance hall.

"This person better be worth my time. I need to know whether Tsukune lives or not." muttered Erina, stepping out of the hallway and heading towards the stairs. As she made it to the ground floor, she paused, hearing distinctively familiar laughter.

She groaned, wondering if there was a way for her to sneak back upstairs before she was noticed.

"Erina-channnn!"

Too late.

Erina turned, crossing her arms and glaring.

"What do you want?"

Kobayashi Rindō looked back at her, grinning around the piece of smoked jerky she held between her teeth.

"Why, I'm just here to discuss the future fate of both Tōtsuki and the Nakiri with you. Nothing too serious."

* * *

 **A/N: Chapter 4, down! A few interesting things happened here. This is the first chapter that's mostly Sōma's POV. I hope you guys like it. Something I NEED to make note of here, both because of this chapter and the fact that I've gotten a few questions about it:**

 **Any and all ships are subject to change. In real life, people date, fall in love, fall out of love, etc. Few ever just find The One off the bat. So no ship is set in stone, especially as this story has so much further to go. And also it's worth noting that just because there are flirty/romantic/affectionate gestures between characters, that doesn't necessarily equate to a full blown ship. Just some food for thought.**

 **P.S All shipping aside, pay attention to my use of honorifics in the story, particularly Sōma's. There's a reason I painstakingly go through the trouble of using the hyphenated little things!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Oh, Ibusaki-kun! I'm very impressed by this cheese." said Rindō, munching away at a triangular wedge of cheddar she held. The chef in question said little, his bangs hiding his eyes as they always did. Despite that, the nervousness in his posture would have been apparent to those that knew him, although Rindō made no indication as to whether she noticed or cared.

"Most people don't bother with smoke based curing methods anymore, so I don't get to eat smoked cuisine as much as I would like. You do quite an impressive job, I must say."

"Much thanks, Rindō-senpai."

His words were almost completely muffled by his cup, which hadn't left his mouth since the overly energetic second seat's entrance. She'd stormed in just a few minutes ago, calling for Erina before getting almost completely side tracked by Shun's presence in the kitchen. The young man had decidedly mixed feelings towards being the sole focus of the Central aligned chef's interest.

"And what might this be?" Rindō asked, reaching for a piece of darkened meat on the platter the boy had been preparing. She popped it into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Ohhh, duck! And very fresh duck too. Where'd you get such a prime specimen, Ibusaki-kun?"

"That would be my contribution, Rindō-senpai…"

Yoshino Yuki, who'd also been in the kitchen with Shun, had been similarly swept up in the purple haired girl's personal wake. She hadn't spoken a word since introducing herself, preferring to do her best to hide behind Shun and let him do the talking, which said all it needed to say about how comfortable she was.

"Ah, do you have connections in Japan's wild game industry Yoshino-chan?"

"Something like that." Yuki said, her words barely loud enough to be heard. Rindō pouted at the girl, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Oh come now, lighten up, I won't bite." Rindō said, before grinning in a manner that suggested she wasn't being completely honest. "How is it you came about something so high class? There aren't any ducks for miles, be they wild or farm raised. I should know. If I didn't know better, I'd think you raised it yourself in your backyard."

"It's because she did." supplied Shun simply.

"Shun-kun!" gasped Yoshino, poking her head over his shoulder to berate him. "Not in front of-"

She stopped abruptly, before looking back at Rindō who continued to munch on Shun's smoked platter happily while watching the two of them with a mischievous look. Yuki slowly sank behind the boy again, until only the tips of her buns could be seen peeking out over his darkly coloured sweater.

"That's so cute. You're worried about revealing your strengths in front of the enemy." mocked Rindō, smiling predatorily. Her gaze seemed to pierce directly through Shun, causing the orange haired girl behind him to shiver. "I simply can't wait to dastardly use my ill-gotten knowledge to plot against you, Yoshino-channnnn."

Before she could continue her teasing, she looked off to the side, perking up and dashing off, startling the two first years with her abrupt exit.

"Erina-channnn!"

The second she was fully out of the room, Yuki turned on Shun angrily.

"Shun-kun! How could you reveal my secrets to the enemy?!"

Shun sighed, removing the paper cup from his lips and setting it on the table.

"I wouldn't exactly call it a secret, Yuki-chan. You chase your animals around the dorm at least once a day. And there are paddocks outside."

"That's not the point! Now any surprise advantage I held against Rindō-senpai is completely gone!"

Shun quirked an eyebrow at the girl, the gesture somehow being conveyed past his fringe.

"Yuki-chan, with all due respect. She's the second seat of the Elite Ten."

Yuki's passion instantly faded, like a candle being snuffed out. She looked down morosely.

"Oh…yea."

Shun thought, trying to find some way to cheer her up without outright lying to the girl. Before he could come up with any solutions, the topic of conversation walked in, followed by an annoyed looking Nakiri Erina.

"Ah, Ibusaki-kun! Sorry for just running off like that, I simply had to grab Erina-chan before she ran away from me."

"Why would I bother running from you, Rindō-senpai?" Erina asked rebelliously, crossing her arms.

"You always used to before." she pointed out, looking over the platter Shun still held out for her inspection.

"That was because you always tried to get me to give you complementary tastings."

"Which you never did, by the way." Rindō said, munching on yet another one of Shun's smoked pieces of jerky. "Yoshino-chan, could you be a dear and get me some water? My tongue's all ashy."

Yoshino nodded, scurrying off to the fridge to fetch the pitcher. Rindō reached for another piece of meat, but she found the platter pulled just out of her grasp.

"My apologies, Rindō-senpai. But I'd appreciate if you left the rest. I spent a lot of time preparing this platter for Yuki-chan."

Rindō blinked, a little surprised. Then she smirked, eyeing the bun haired girl who seemed to be trying to find a glass, before turning back to the Prince of Smoke.

"You should be more polite to your guests, Ibusaki-kun. Especially if they're a lady. We're easily offended, you know. Why, it would be such a shame if I felt the need to represent Central when this dorm comes up on the chopping block."

Rindō's smile was sharp and her eyes were narrowed, the slits locked onto Shun's. Her aura had completely shifted, becoming one of dangerous amusement. Like a tiger playing with a mouse. Shun resisted the urge to step back, holding his ground. Sōma wasn't the only Polar Star resident willing to stand up to Elite Ten members.

"I wonder where your friend would keep all of her precious little livestock animals when this place is replaced with one of my gardens…"

"Enough, Rindō-senpai." said Erina, snapping authoritatively. She turned to Shun, who hadn't moved since Rindō's declaration, the platter still held carefully out of her reach.

"I assure you Ibusaki-kun. She's just kidding. Right, Rindō-senpai?"

The purple haired girl was all smiles and innocence when Erina turned to get her assurance. The aura of menace she'd been exerting had completely vanished as if it were never there in the first place. Shun's posture relaxed, his body language coming at ease once again. Although he still made no move to offer her the platter.

"Of course, Erina-chan. Sōma-kun would be furious with me if I were to take away something so precious to him."

At the casual mention of their friend's name, the two Polar Star residents paused, caught off guard. While it wasn't exactly a surprise that Rindō would know Sōma after his time with Central, the familiar way with which she addressed him spoke volumes.

"Here you go, Rindō-senpai. I hope I didn't add too much ice." said Yuki, trotting back over with a glass filled almost to the rim with ice cubes and water. Rindō took the glass from her, smiling at the girl charmingly.

" _Arigato_ , Yoshino-chan."

She took a sip, letting out an exaggerated sigh.

"Ah, that's refreshing. A little tip, Ibusaki-kun. Try keeping the food wrapped in a fine mesh weave cloth when you're smoking it. It'll still retain most of the flavour, but there'll be less of that ashy aftertaste to deal with."

Rindō patted the boy on the head in a gesture of blatant condescension.

"Well, shall we go Erina-chan?"

Erina looked away from where she'd been attempting to communicate silently with Yuki, her eyes confused.

"Go where?"

Rindō shook her head, waving her finger at the girl in admonishment.

"My, my. Have you already forgotten why I'm here?"

With those words, Erina stiffened and nodded jerkily.

"Ah, right. Yes. Shall we go to my room then?"

"Please. Lead the way."

Erina exited the kitchen and Rindō started to follow her before pausing.

"Ah, before I forget."

She turned to the Prince of Smoke and Polar Star's Game Mistress, handing the empty glass to the surprised looking girl. Neither of them had seen when she'd finished the water, but the large glass was completely empty. Even the ice cubes were gone.

"It was a pleasure meeting you. Yoshino-chan. Ibusaki-kun. Your specialties seem to work well together. Thanks for the food."

With a playful wink and nod, she walked off after the former tenth seat, whistling cheerily.

Yuki sighed tiredly, her shoulders drooping, before turning to Shun.

"Well, that was nerve-wracking. Don't you agree, Shun-kun?"

He still held the platter of smoked products in his hand and he was looking down at it contemplatively.

"You have no idea, Yuki-chan."

* * *

"Ugh, this bed is so uncomfortable." whined Rindō, flopping herself onto Erina's mattress. The owner of said uncomfortable furniture glowered at her presumptuous guest but didn't respond to the obvious bait. Yellow eyes gazed up at her, sparkling with mischief.

"I still don't see how someone as high maintenance as you can make it here, Erina-chan."

"The facilities are more than adequate. Of that, I can assure you Rindō-senpai."

"Oh, I'm sure the cooking facilities are, at the very least. This is Tōtsuki after all. But come on."

Rindō gestured contemptuously to the room around her. To the outdated peeling wallpaper and worn floor. To the chipped furniture and scuffed floor. There was even a burn mark in the center of the room, like some sort of brand on the floor.

"This isn't exactly your style, Erina-chan. I mean, really, what are these?"

Rindō stood up and walked over to the rusted golden piping sticking up from a corner of the room. She leaned down, fiddling with the lid of one.

"Is this leftover plumbing or something?"

"Not exactly, Rindō-senpai."

The voice that responded wasn't Erina's. Rindō started, almost falling flat on the floor, which elicited a smirk from Erina. It wasn't often that the troublemaking second seat was the one caught off guard.

Rindō stood back up quickly, dusting off her skirt as she peered deep into the pipe's seemingly endless depths.

"Hello? _Yurei-san_?"

"Are you saying I'm a ghost because I'm not on the Council anymore? How cruel, Rindō-senpai!"

The voice responded back immediately, sobbing. Rindō perked up.

"Isshiki?! Is that you? How'd you become a ghost in the walls?"

"So hurtful, Rindō-senpai…"

Rindō laughed, amazed at the wondrously primitive contraption.

"Oh, lighten up you big baby! So that's what these pipes are for, huh? So you can nag all of your cute little kouhai?"

"I don't nag, Rindō-senpai! I guide with a gentle and loving hand."

' _That's not all he guides with._ ' thought Erina irritably, thinking to the many, many naked apron surprise attacks she'd been forced to endure during her tenure at the dorm.

"Oh, I'm sure you do Isshiki-kun. So how've things been with you? I miss having you on the council."

"Don't you mean you miss the fresh vegetable snacks I would prepare for you every so often, Rindō-senpai?"

Rindō grinned, thinking back to the lovely spring medleys the second year used to create for her. She sighed wistfully.

"I figured that would go without saying. Be that as it may, as happy as I am to speak with you Isshiki, I'm afraid I'm here on business."

"Ah, what business could you have with our precious Erina-chan? Nothing nefarious, I hope? We've grown quite fond of her."

Despite the boy's light tone, there was a note of challenge in his voice. Erina found herself smiling slightly at the protective instinct of her upperclassman. Despite the somewhat shaky start they'd had when she first entered the dorm, he'd truly and fully taken her under his wing as someone to be protected.

"I can assure you, Isshiki-kun. I'm not here to cause Erina-chan any trouble."

She paused thoughtfully, before amending her statement.

"Not much, anyway."

"I shall hold you to that, Rindō-senpai." He said cheerily. "I shall let you get back to your business. Have fun, Erina-chan!"

Erina waved idly towards the boy's voice before realizing he had no way to see her.

"Thank you for your concern, Isshiki-senpai. Goodbye."

With one last farewell, his voice vanished from the pipes, a clink echoing down them. Rindō clapped her hands, turning to face Erina.

"That's a fun little feature, I must admit. It seems there are SOME perks to this place, Erina-chan."

"More than you know, Rindō-senpai." commented Erina offhandedly, walking over to the pipes and closing the lids over them, ensuring their privacy. "Now, just what is this business you're here to discuss with me?"

"So quick to get right to the point, Erina-chan." moaned Rindō, flopping back onto the bed. Erina arched an aristocratic eyebrow at her, taking a seat in her desk chair and crossing her legs daintily.

"I don't see the benefit in wasting time, unlike some people." she said pointedly. Rindō didn't speak for a moment, instead looking up at the loose ceiling tiles above her.

"You know, a few months ago, I would've believed you really meant that, Erina-chan."

Rindō turned her head, smirking.

"As it stands, I'm almost certain you've learnt more than you'd care to admit about the value of "wasted time", _ne_?"

Erina didn't respond, instead following Rindō's gaze to land upon a few of the odds and ends strewn about her otherwise perfectly tidy desk. A manga booklet lay face down and spine up, its pages splayed open to preserve its place. Next to it sat a little rubber duck, along with a beat up looking red whistle and a worn spade.

"I'm curious as to why you have such childish things, Erina-chan. I would've thought them "beneath you"." she said, air quoting her words mockingly.

"They're not childish!" fumed Erina. "They're…you see, well...there's a perfectly good reason for each of them!"

"Oh really?" asked Rindō, this time being the one that arched an eyebrow. "Just what use could the famed God's Tongue have for a simple spade? Do tell."

Erina looked over, angrily clicking her tongue.

"I require the spade to fulfil my duties in the dormitory's shared gardening space."

Rindō perked up, her ears doing their best impression of a cat's.

"Oh, they force you to earn your keep with manual labour? That's so demeaning, Erina-chan. I'm surprised you stand for it."

The simpering tone of Rindō's teasing did nothing for Erina's mood.

"Of course not! I participate by choice. They don't require anything of me. I'm an official member of the dorm, after all."

"So then why do you do it?"

Erina paused, caught off guard momentarily. She hadn't ever really had to justify why she did what she did at the dorm. It had all just sort of…happened. One thing would lead to another and, before she knew it, she would be in the backyard with Yuki learning about how to raise ducks, or with Megumi in the garden, learning the best way to keep tomato plants alive. She'd found these tasks so annoying at first, but she'd grown…accustomed to them. She might even say she enjoyed them.

"It's important to contribute." is all she said in response to Rindō's question, her inner turmoil not so easily masked from the older girl. She said nothing however and merely moved her eyes over to the worn looking whistle.

"And how exactly does a child's whistle help you to contribute?"

"It's quite simple. Allow me to demonstrate." said Erina, doing her best to hide how eager she was to showcase the practical value of her keepsakes. She stood up, snatching the whistle off of the desk before marching to her door and opening it. Taking a deep breath, she blew two short, sharp bursts into the toy. The high pitched bursts echoed down the empty hallway and Erina waited, expectantly.

Rindō levered herself into a seated position, watching curiously. After a few seconds of silence, she wondered just what the girl was waiting on before she heard it. It sounded like a series of little, assorted footsteps. The noise grew louder and louder, reaching a crescendo before stopping as the causes of it halted in front of the door.

Rindō blinked, honestly surprised. She'd seen many things during her time at Tōtsuki. But she'd had yet to see someone summon a troop of wild animals like they were some sort of spirit whisperer. An assorted crowd of animals stood just outside the door, jostling each other and making noise.

A veritable army of creatures stood before Erina, who was smiling regally, as if addressing her subjects. There were fluffy white rabbits, jostling for attention, flanked by several ducks of various colours. Chickens trotted and squawked, occasionally fluttering their wings irritably at the more excitable of their brethren. There was even a small deer, with a duckling perched atop its head.

But the strangest animal of all was the little boar that stood authoritatively at the head of them all. It stood up straight with its back arched, as if it were standing at attention. It probably would've saluted if it hadn't been quadrupedal by nature.

"See, Rindō-senpai? The whistle is for properly domesticating the livestock. Yoshino-chan and I use it to help keep the animals in line. It's actually rather fascinating how well they c-"

Whatever she was about to say was cut off as sound came blasting up one of the golden pipes of the room, completely displacing the cover that had been placed over it.

" **Nakiri! Yoshino! Was all that noise what I think it was?!"**

Erina's face dropped, her eyes widening. She dashed over to the pipe, placing her mouth near the opening.

"G-Gomen Fumio-san! I was simply showcasing the progress Yoshino-chan and I had made with the animals to Rindō-senpai."

Erina waited for a response, leaning her ear down to the pipe. A rookie mistake.

" **I don't give a rat's ass if you wanted to show off to Inari-sama himself! I'm coming up there in exactly five minutes and if I see so much as a single feather, you're spending the night in the barn!"**

Erina clutched her left ear, seeming dazed. Gathering her wits, she responded quickly.

"H-Hai Fumio-san! My apologies!" she managed to stammer out before standing up quickly and dashing out of the door to start ushering the menagerie down the hall. Rindō soon heard the voice of the Game Mistress echo down the hall as well.

"Erina-chii! Why would you blow the whistle? You know how crazy _Buta-chan_ can get! And once he gets going, you know everyone else will want to follow."

"I know, I know! Sorry. Rindō-senpai was just asking me about the whistle, and I thought it would be simplest if…"

Their voices echoed off down the hall, accompanied by the bleats, grunts and squawks of the little zoo they were attempting to ferry. Rindō stood up and walked over to the door, peeking out to see the crowd of feathers and fur being herded downstairs by a frazzled looking Yuki while Erina stood nearby, trying to convince the lone deer to make its way down the steps.

The sight of the Nakiri heiress pleading with the animal caused Rindō to give off a rather unladylike snort, doing nothing to hide her amusement. She would've probably burst into full blown laughter if she hadn't been interrupted by the vibration of her cell phone. She took it out of her pocket and flipped it open, still chortling.

"Nikumi-chan, hey! You almost missed my deadline, you're lucky the stars seem to be a bit reclusive tonight."

"Sorry, Rindō-senpai. The last item on the list was actually very difficult to find, but I was able to. What's the plan now?"

"Just hold onto that stuff for now, Nikumi-chan. I need to finish up with some things here first. And then, I can see about giving you my… _full_ _attention_."

The words were spoken in a hushed whisper and Rindō found the little gulp of terror on the end of the line very satisfying. It was simply so much fun to mess with the freshman. It was a feeling she'd miss soon enough.

"Alright. I'll just…wait then."

"Sounds like a plan, Nikumi-chan. I'll contact you a little later tonight. Be prepared." said Rindō, walking over to Erina's desk and picking up the manga, surveying the pages with a critical eye.

"I will be. Thank you Rindō-senpai."

A pause.

"And don't call me Nikumi!" the dark skinned girl bit out before the line abruptly hung up. Rindō laughed at how simple it was to get under the buxom meat chef's skin. She slipped the phone into her jacket packet and got back to leafing through the book, admiring the art style of the manga.

It was several minutes before Erina returned, huffing. She had feathers caught in her long hair, and seemed to be a mixture of embarrassed and displeased. A mood that reminded her all too well of a certain red headed chef.

"Erina, is that a new look you're sporting? I hadn't heard feathers were back in style." commented Rindō, doing nothing to hide her needling smirk as she closed the book.

Erina didn't respond, still trying to find some semblance of dignity after her mad scramble. She walked to the mirror, plucking out the feathers in her hair one by one. After a few seconds, she felt hands in her hair and she started to turn, surprised.

"Relax, Erina-chan." said Rindō, turning the girl back forward. "No way you can get all of them on your own."

Erina tried to say something in response, but she stayed silent and went back to combing her fingers through her hair. After a scant few minutes, their combined efforts yielded a small pile of feathers on the floor and a fully clear head of hair for Erina.

"There ya go. All tidy." said Rindō, walking over to plop herself back on the bed.

Erina continued to run her fingers through her hair as she examined it in the mirror. It seemed to be an idle motion however, as the girl's mind was clearly on something else.

"Rindō-senpai…" she turned to look at the older girl before stopping and averting her eyes.

Rindō looked over at her questioningly from where she'd been typing on her phone. After a few seconds where Erina just continued to look away from her, Rindō rolled her eyes and returned to her phone's screen.

"Come on Erina-chan. Just spit it out."

Erina didn't seem heartened by the second seat's prodding but she started to speak, if a little hesitantly.

"Why?"

The word was soft spoken but it may as well have been shouted for how much emotion the younger girl put into it. Anger. Pain. Confusion. Sadness. All and more were present in the simple, one syllable word.

For several minutes, the only sounds in the room were the gentle clicks of Rindō's virtual keyboard as she typed away. Finally, she spoke, her tone one of disinterest.

"Why what?"

Erina's eyes snapped up, setting their incensed gaze firmly on Rindō's nonchalant form.

"Why would you follow that man?"

Her tone now was all fury, and it would've given Rindō pause had she been anyone else. As it were, she simply finished typing on her phone and sat up, looking the heiress directly in her eyes. Erina found herself almost surprised by the unreadable look she had in them.

"I presume you're talking about Azami-sama?" she asked with no preamble. Erina nodded, her face still fixed into an expression of anger, with an undercurrent of hurt beneath it.

" _Ojii-chan_ devoted his life to this school. To students like you. What could he have done that made you hate him so much that you'd hand over the school to someone like my father…"

Erina trailed off, clenching her fists.

"If he has his way, he's going to destroy this place. He may leave the buildings standing and he may not expel every student but he'll stomp every last shred of spirit from this place until every single chef here is reduced to a puppet going through the motions. There'll be no creativity, no growth, no life! Tōtsuki will be reduced to a glorified printing press, spitting out cooks of the same mould, year after year. That's the kind of man you helped put in charge."

Rindō's expression hadn't shifted throughout Erina's entire impassioned rant and, even now, she merely stared at the honey blonde, who was panting and staring back at her. Then she tilted her head and her calm expression shifted. Her eyes lowered until only the barest hint of yellow was visible and the corner of her mouth rose into a smile, just barely baring her fangs at the younger girl.

"Is that really why you're angry, Erina-chan? Such a selfless attitude doesn't suit God's Tongue, you know."

Erina saw red as she saw the casual disdain with which the girl treated her feelings. The girl's cavalier attitude was always annoying but to see it expressed here, after she'd practically poured out her heart, was simply inexcusable. With a cry of frustration, Erina lashed out and kicked the coffee table in rage.

The pain that resulted did much to quell her anger and she barely suppressed a whimper as she hopped back and sat down in her desk chair, holding her calf. Regardless, she still glared at Rindō as she rubbed at the injured limb.

Rindō contemplated mocking the girl for such a childish error but she let it pass, in favour of addressing the girl.

"You're right, Erina-chan."

The simple sentence caused Erina to forget about her injured leg and look over at the girl, who was still giving her that mysterious smile.

"With the way things are headed, if something isn't done, it won't be long before Azami-sama takes every last bit of ingenuity and brilliance from this place and stomps it beneath his heel. The students here will go from being the best in the world to cookie cutter copies of one man's gourmet standards."

"If you know that, then why do you fight for him?!" Erina asked incredulously.

"Because I don't care."

Rindō smiled wider as she saw the confusion descend on Erina's face.

"I could care less if every last speck of Tōtsuki's spirit is ground away under Central's machine. I could care less if our Elite Ten Council is the last of its kind here at Tōtsuki. I could care less if he subjected every single student here to the same kind of training he put you and Sōma-kun through."

Her first two sentences had been like slaps to the face to the Nakiri princess. But if they were slaps, then Rindō's last sentence was a full blown punch to the gut. Erina froze as she tried to process what she had said. How did Rindō know about that? How did-

"Did you say Sōma-kun?" asked Erina, her mouth moving on its own, her brain still trying to catch up.

Rindō blinked in surprise before sighing.

"Oh, I'm so bad with secrets. Sōma-kun's going to be so angry. I can practically hear him now."

Erina had stopped listening as the implications of what Rindō said started to hit home.

'... _the same kind of training he put you and Sōma-kun through.'_

She started breathing faster, the ice in her head colder than it had ever been. Her hands shook as she raised them, tracing that special character into her left palm. But, rather than comfort, the gesture only brought on more ice as she thought about just who had taught her that. About who had helped her so much in these past few months. And about what her father had done to that person's most treasured friend.

She began hyperventilating, her chest constricting as she looked around the room. The room that had belonged to the boy she'd already inadvertently stolen so much from. It suddenly felt small and constricting and Erina tried to stand but her legs weren't working. They refused to move, no matter how much she tried.

"Erina-chan? Erina-chan!"

The voice sounded like it was coming from far away. Erina tried to turn to face it, but her body still proved resistant to her efforts as her mind was brought back to that cage. But this time she wasn't the one inside it.

Was she always on the floor? She could've sworn she had been sitting up a few seconds ago.

A sharp pinch to her cheek brought her awareness back to reality and she stared up into yellow eyes. Golden eyes.

"Megumi-chan?" she asked softly. Desperately.

The eyes blinked and that's when Erina noticed the narrowness of the pupil in each of them. So unlike Megumi's round, expressive ones.

"Nope. Still just me." said Rindō, her voice just as carefree as it always was, despite the fact that she was cradling the girl's head in her lap. "You done freaking out now, Erina-chan?"

Erina blinked, her mind sluggish as it started to break free of the ice's grip.

"Just…just give me a minute, Rindō-senpai."

Erina felt soft hands in her hair and could only close her eyes as Rindō stroked her hair. She wanted to protest, to snap at the callous girl who'd been responsible for her episode in the first place, but all she could do was lean into her skirt, suddenly exhausted. She'd berate her senior in a few minutes, most definitely. She just needed to regain her energy for a bit.

Rindō continued stroking her hair, humming a tune as the breaths of the girl in her lap grew longer and deeper.

"You know, Erina-chan. In a way, I do feel sorry for you. For what Azami did to you."

The girl was already asleep, Rindō's words falling on deaf ears. She continued speaking, regardless.

"But not nearly sorry enough to deny myself the brilliant spectacle that will be your father's campaign against this school. When he first contacted me, I laughed in his face. His plan seemed like the ravings of a madman. And as he continued to speak, I realized that's exactly what they were. But this particular madman had the smarts and the money to actually see his plans through."

The slumbering girl didn't respond, instead just snuggling deeper into the girl's lap, eliciting a soft smile from Rindō. The sort of smile few could claim to have ever drawn from her.

"You see, Erina-chan, I like to see moving things. Things are boring when they don't move. Good. Bad. It's all irrelevant. When something is static and unchanging, it's simply detestable. But when that same thing is besieged. Attacked. Then it's forced to change, to move, to respond. And that is when it becomes truly interesting. That is when it has to show its worth or be destroyed."

Rindō brushed the hair out of the girl's eyes, staring down at her peaceful, resting face.

"And there is nothing more beautiful than something fighting against its own destruction with every piece of spirit that it has, as I'm sure you and your friends will, _ne_ Erina-chan?"

* * *

Rindō closed the door behind her softly, doing her best to not rouse the sleeping first year that she'd deposited into her bed. She hadn't gotten to entreat with her as Sōma had asked, but it couldn't be helped. She'd just come back another time. Or nag Sōma into doing it himself.

As she moved to walk down the hall, the door right next to her opened, causing Rindō to walk directly into it, eliciting a yelp.

"Ah, excuse me, sorry! My hands are full." said a voice.

The door moved to shut, revealing the pajamas wearing figure of Tadokoro Megumi, who looked mortified when she realized just who she'd hit with her door.

" _Gomenasai_ Rindō-senpai! I didn't see you there. "

She bowed swiftly, causing her shampoo bottle to fly out of her grip. Her cheeks turned red as she leaned down, trying to grab at the loose bottle. Instead, her haste simply caused other things to fall from her hands, her cheeks turning redder with each item that hit the floor.

"Geez, Tadokoro-chan. Relax." Rindō said, smiling as she saw the girl's turn even redder at being addressed during her embarrassing attempt to pick up everything. Rindō crouched down, grabbing at a few of the things that had fallen near her and handing them back.

"Thank you Rindō-senpai." said Megumi, going to bow again before being stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"No more bowing, alright? Wouldn't want a repeat of what just happened, _ne_?"

"R-Right. Sorry."

Rindō rolled her eyes at the overly apologetic girl. Her mannerisms reminded her of a certain neurotic first seat, and she found it just as annoying here. In rolling her eyes, she spotted something that the girl had missed. A small, yellow object. She leaned down to pick it up.

It was a small rubber duck. Exactly like the one that had been sitting on Erina's desk. She squeezed it, eliciting a _squeak_ from the toy.

"Ah, I dropped Kawa-chan! Thank you for picking him up, Rindō-senpai."

With a shrug, Rindō flicked the duck towards the girl, watching her scramble to catch it amongst the bundle of items she held without dropping anything. Which she did, surprisingly.

"Thank you. Again. Actually, if you don't mind me asking Rindō-senpai, what brings you here today? I don't think I've ever seen you around the dorm before."

Rindō contemplated telling the girl the truth before deciding against it. She'd used up enough of her time speaking with Erina and she still had other things to do tonight. As fun as the little bluenette's reaction would be, she had responsibilities to attend to.

"Just catching up on old times with Erina-chan. She fell asleep on me though, so I'm just going to head out for now."

Megumi blinked, checking her watch.

"Really? It's only eight thirty and Erina-chan's already sleeping?"

"More like napping, I think. She seemed a bit tired." said Rindō, purposely leaving out just what the cause for said tiredness was.

"Well, alright then. I'll just check in on her later, I suppose. It was nice seeing you again, Rindō-senpai. I hope you enjoyed your visit."

Megumi nodded in lieu of her usual bow and proceed to head down the hall towards the bathroom. Rindō watched her walk away, wondering how much of the girl's kindness was an act. She was technically the enemy, after all.

 _Tadokoro's a special kind of person, Rindō-senpai._

Rindō thought back to what Sōma had told her all those weeks ago, when she'd first started interacting with him. She hadn't understood exactly what he'd meant then but, in meeting the girl here again, she thought she was starting to understand just why Sōma thought the girl was going to be important.

Rindō spun on her heel and started walking in the opposite direction, making her way towards the exit. She thought about the little yellow duck that Erina had on her desk, and about what practical contribution she could've possibly used it for before discarding the thought.

Through all of her bluster, Rindō had known instantly why someone as straight laced as Nakiri Erina would keep knick knacks lying around, out of place. It wasn't out of necessity, at least not in a practical sense. They were, quite simply, special to her. They were gifts from her friends. Something Erina had never really had. Even someone as naturally ambivalent as Rindō could see that.

Outside of her aide, Erina hadn't ever had any close relationships with any of the other students. They'd all held her on a pedestal as something untouchable and refined, something to be admired but kept at a distance. And, through a combination of her breeding and talent, she'd reciprocated. Until she found herself alone amongst her peers, looking down on the rest of them.

' _It seems even you are vulnerable to sentiment, Erina-chan.'_ thought Rindō. She pulled out her phone, dialling a number and putting the phone to her ear.

"I'm finished with my business, Nikumi-chan. Meet me at my personal kitchen. It's in the main hall building. Two doors down from the entrance."

"Your...your personal kitchen, Rindō-senpai?" she asked, awe in her voice.

"Yup. Consider yourself honoured. I'll see you there in fifteen."

She hung up the phone and continued walking, finding herself back in the kitchen, where she found Yuki and Shun at the stove, discussing something quietly over a simmering pot. She idly noted how close their shoulders were and how red the stoic boy's face was as a result. She smiled privately.

Saying nothing, she continued past the pair, who didn't seem to notice her presence. As she made it to the foyer, she looked around at the building that housed so many of those that would rise up against her chosen leader. And she just grinned at the thought of the chaos that was primed to sweep Tōtsuki.

She couldn't think of a better way to end her last year of high school.

* * *

Alice hummed happily, coming up the steps to her home. She'd left Ryo back in the Cutting Edge Research Society's room, managing some of the new construction. While she'd been happy with what they had, Ryo had requested that she allow him to make some renovations and new purchases since they had so much spare funding now.

While she was almost certain that Ryo's requests weren't going to be related to anything "cutting edge" in the sense of her tastes, she also didn't particularly care what happened with the money. It was Tōtsuki's, and by extension Uncle Azami's, after all.

She'd opted to walk back home, leaving the car with Ryo, as he said he would probably be staying much later. It was a rare occasion that saw Alice Nakiri walking anywhere unnecessarily, but it had seemed like a nice night and so she'd went out on a whim, leaving through the building's back entrance.

This meant that her personal driver had no idea that she was on her way home. Which meant he had no way of informing Nakiri Azami of his niece's impending arrival. Which meant the elder Nakiri had no way of taking certain precautions.

Alice opened the main door, still humming to herself and heading towards the stairs. As she began her climb, she stopped. What was that noise?

It was faint, she probably wouldn't have noticed it if the halls hadn't been so oddly empty. She stepped back down, looking around in confusion. It seemed like it was coming from downstairs. But nothing was down there except for old store rooms.

Alice headed down, slightly concerned by the level of darkness. She didn't venture down here often, but she knew the light fixtures weren't meant to be darkened. Any maintenance issues were always resolved within minutes in the mansion of Tōtsuki's ruling family, which meant the lights were turned off purposefully. But to what end?

Alice continued following the dark trail and, in a sudden epiphany, she realized just what the sound was.

It was Erina's voice. But also not. The voice was higher pitched and lighter. The voice of a younger Erina.

Alice continued walking, finding the darkness to be even more encroaching as she progressed. She pulled out her phone, activating the flashlight on it to clear a path in the darkness. As she walked, the sound grew louder and louder, and she could soon make out the words.

"It's...it's alright but it's not ideal, I suppose. He could've used better seasonings..."

Another voice cut in, the owner of it unmistakeable.

"You must be strict and uncompromising, Erina. If a dish is subpar, then it. Is. Subpar. Don't quibble over what they may or may not have gotten right. You accept nothing less than one hundred percent. Perfection."

A sound echoed, the sound of a plate breaking, and Erina yelped.

"I'm sorry Father. I won't do it again."

"You've said that to me before, Erina. And you've proven yourself a liar. How can I believe you?"

More sounds could be heard and Alice quickened her pace as she heard Erina cry out, again and again. What was this? What was going on?

Soon she'd found the door, behind which she could hear the noises emanating from. She reached her hand out to the door knob, a sense of foreboding hitting her. Did she want to open this door? She could turn around right now and pretend she'd never been here, with no one the wiser.

But Nakiri Alice was no coward. She placed her hand on the doorknob, twisting it and opening the door, a dark room meeting her gaze.

That wasn't quite accurate. One of the walls were lit up brightly, almost painfully so, and it showed a projection screen. It seemed to be video footage of Erina, from years in the past. Azami stood over her, holding her wrist and whispering in her ear. Every so often, she would cry out, pulling at the grip he had on her hand futilely.

"Ah, Father! It hurts!"

Alice struggled to take her eyes off of the screen now that she'd entered. Her fist clenched until her palm almost bled as she grit her teeth. She knew exactly what she was seeing. Her mother had told her about it, years ago. About how Nakiri Azami had done his best to turn her cousin into his own personal tool. She never thought the man would have had the audacity to record his abuse.

"You shouldn't be here." said a voice.

Alice looked over, at the darkened figure she'd missed on opening the door. Her eyes widened as she recognized the golden eyes and spiky hair.

"Yukihira-kun..."


	6. Chapter 6

"Nakiri! Yo, Nakiri!"

Erina stopped walking towards the stairs and she sighed, turning around. There was exactly one person bold (read: stupid) enough to yell for her like some common street urchin from across the foyer.

"What is it, Sōma-kun?" asked Erina, turning to face him imperiously. As always, her haughty air had little to no effect and the red head just grinned at her.

He was garbed in his usual Yukihira branded clothing, and a long white cloth trailed from his wrist. It made him seem different, but Erina shook off the feeling. There was nothing strange about Sōma's current attire. He was almost stupidly proud of his little special-of-the-day shop after all.

He smiled at her impishly, scratching the back of his head.

"I've got a dish for you to taste."

"Nothing squid based, I hope?" asked Erina cautiously. She'd had yet to fall victim to any of his…creations…but she'd heard more than enough from Megumi to know that she never wanted to either.

"Nah, this one's an old favourite."

Suddenly, they were in the kitchen. Sōma turned to the bowl he had prepared, presenting it to her with a flourish.

"Transforming Furikake Gohan!"

Erina sniffed, trying to hide how delectable the simple bowl smelled. It glistened brown with the aspic and the chicken scented air caressed her, practically begging her to take a bite. She reached out for the chopsticks he held out in his other hand, grasping them deftly.

"Aren't you tired of cooking this by now, Sōma? This will make the third time in less than a year."

Sōma frowned, cocking his head at her questioningly.

"I've only made this dish for you twice, Nakiri. Today and at my transfer evaluation."

"That's incorrect. You've made it another time besides that." said Erina. She reached out and took the bowl from him, prodding at the fluffy egg curds strewn among the rice grains.

"Really? When?"

Erina went to speak again, but she paused. She couldn't remember, try as she might. It's like there was a blank space in her memories. Was she mistaken? Had Sōma only prepared this particular dish twice?

No. This was definitely the third time Yukihira Sōma had prepared this particular furikake dish. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember what the other time was. She felt like it was important. Like she was missing something.

"It's irrelevant." she snapped, grabbing a piece of the dish and bringing it to her lips, the smell beyond tantalizing. Sōma's talents had really only improved after all of the time he spent with Cen-at Tōtsuki.

She put the piece into her mouth and almost spat it out immediately. It tasted…it tasted…for the first time in her life, Nakiri Erina's infamous tongue failed. It tried to pick apart the flavors of the dish and floundered, unable to give her any information. Was it spicy? Sweet? Savoury?

Erina stared down at the bowl, struggling to process just what was happening as her teeth and tongue moved mechanically, chewing and swallowing the bite. Throughout the entire process, she tasted nothing. Nothing at all.

"You know, now that you mention it Nakiri-ojou. I believe you are correct."

Sōma's voice had changed. Where it was once warmth and kindness, it was flat and cold. Blank.

She looked up, too confused to be dismayed, and gasped, the bowl dropping from her hand and breaking on the floor.

Sōma stood before her in a crisp black Tōtsuki uniform, a Central badge pinned proudly to his lapel. A silver chain wound its way around his left wrist and his body language had changed. Gone was the open, friendly boy she had only just been talking to her.

"I did cook this one other time, didn't I? A pity you didn't get to enjoy it. So what do you think of my efforts now?"

"S-S-Sōma-kun…" said Erina, stepping back only to meet a wall that certainly hadn't been there a few seconds ago. She turned, meeting an empty, stone wall where the airy Polar Star kitchen had just been. She turned back around, a cold feeling starting to take hold as she saw what stood before her.

The scene had changed. Sōma was still garbed in his black clothing but now he sat at a table. A familiar table. With a trash can at his side, a candle on the table and a bowl of his transforming furikake gohan in front of him.

"Aren't you going to answer him, Erina?"

Erina froze, almost literally, as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She glimpsed black, gloved fingers at the corner of her vision and she found herself unable to turn to confirm just who stood behind her.

Soon, she didn't need to concern herself with turning around as her father took his hand off of her shoulder and walked forward to stand beside Sōma, whose hands were now above his head, shackled to the wall behind him.

"How was Sōma-kun's food, daughter? Were his efforts up to our usual standards?"

 _Was his dish worthy?_

"What does your God's Tongue tell you?"

 _Were his efforts one hundred percent perfection?_

Erina tried to say something, anything. But not a single word left her mouth. What would she say? What **could** she say?

Azami frowned disapprovingly, but his displeasure didn't seem to be directed at her.

"It appears, Sōma-kun, that your dish was so deplorable that Erina is without words for how terribly subpar it is. That simply won't do."

In a sudden fit of violence, with strength she didn't know her father possessed, Azami flung the heavy, wooden table to the side of the room, its contents scattering across the floor. Bits of rice and egg flew everywhere as Erina shrieked, the bowl shattering into uncountable pieces against the wall.

He stepped in front of Sōma, turning his back to Erina and partially shielding the red headed boy from her view.

"Well, do you have anything to say for yourself, boy?" he asked, pulling his gloves off one at a time and putting them in his coat pocket.

"Just that I live to serve you, Nakiri-sama."

"As you should, Sōma-kun."

Erina jumped at the sudden sound of flesh meeting flesh, and the muted grunt from Sōma. Her eyes widened as she realized just what had occurred as she watched her father rear his fist back again.

"Father! Stop!"

Azami paused, turning his head to look over his shoulder at her.

"Yes, Erina?" he said calmly, as if he hadn't just brutally struck her shackled classmate across the face.

"What are you doing?!" she cried, the concern for her friend momentarily beating out the sheer terror she usually felt in her father's presence. He frowned at her, his face almost seeming confused.

"It's called discipline, Erina. I did it with you, and now I shall do it to him."

Azami lashed out a second time and this time Sōma's grunt was marginally less muted. Erina stepped forward, holding her hands out beseechingly.

"You never struck me like this Father! You never put me in chains!"

 _None that existed outside of her mind, anyway,_

Azami laughed, fully turning to her and allowing her to see Sōma. His cheeks were already starting to turn a dark purple and his eyes glared out at her, the previous blank stare replaced with one of fury and accusation. She felt her eyes start to prickle as she found herself unable to look away. She had never seen Sōma look at anything with such disdain before.

"Of course not, Erina. You're my daughter. He is nothing. Low class trash that was never fit to be in the same room as us, let alone inside of this school. He's a stray dog among the precious Jewels of the cooking world."

Erina started as she heard the familiar sentiments expressed back at her. It said something that, out of all the things he could've said, her father repeating her very own thoughts back at her was somehow one of the worst things she'd ever heard him say to her.

"I would never treat my own daughter the way I've treated him."

Azami smiled at her, his smile warm and proud, like the way he'd smile at her every time she succeeded in her "training". His next words were as sincere and kind as his smile.

"After all, I'm not a monster."

Which only made them all the worse.

And as Azami turned back, drawing his hand back yet again, Erina sprang forward in a display of courage she'd never before had towards her father. As she ran into his form, he burst into wisps of mist, evaporating as if he'd never been there.

Erina didn't question the impossibility, her eyes blurred with tears as she collapsed into Sōma, holding his shoulders.

"Sōma-kun. Sōma-kun!"

She hugged him, tightly. He didn't evaporate. He was warm and solid. He was real.

She stood up, reaching for his wrist to undo the chains there but he moved his hand out of her reach. She tried again, but the errant wrist moved once again, thwarting her efforts. She looked at the boy in confusion, and she found him staring at her, his golden orbs replaced by a different set of yellow eyes.

"Haven't you done enough, Erina-chan?"

The voice wasn't his. It was soft and feminine. And bitter and sad. So very sad.

Erina screamed. She closed her eyes and screamed.

She screamed and screamed, waiting to run out of breath or to lose her voice, but she just kept on screaming.

"Erina-chan! Erina-chan!"

The voice was there again, but now it was loud, and concerned. And full of warmth where there had been only despair before.

Erina felt unseen hands on her shoulders and she lashed out ineffectively, pushing at them.

"No! No!"

"Erina-chan! Calm down! Stop it!"

She felt someone force her hands together and let go, before she felt a sharp clap on the back of them and she gasped, her mind coming together as her eyes opened sharply, wakefulness forced on her by the stinging sensation on the back of her palms.

She was lying on her back in bed, breathing like she'd just run a marathon. She felt the uncomfortable warmth that indicated she was sweating, made only more pronounced by the school uniform she'd worn to bed. Her eyes felt uncomfortably moist and she found her breaths riddled with sobbing hiccups.

Straddling her, with hands clasped over her own, was Megumi, who was looking down at her with concern. Her hair was free from its usual pigtails, still wet from the shower, and she wore a set of pink pajamas.

In another set of circumstances, they would've made quite the erotic picture. Two wet, panting girls in bed together. As it were, neither of them had any thoughts to the impropriety of their situation. One of them was simply concerned for her friend and another was still trying to adjust to being back in the waking world.

Erina sat up, Megumi shuffling off of her to instead sit across from her on the mattress. She looked around, confused as to why she wasn't in **that** room. It didn't take long for Erina to realize just what was going on, and even less time to remember just what she'd found out from her loose lipped senpai.

"Megumi-chan..."

"It's alright, Erina-chan. I'm here. What's wrong?"

Erina said nothing, just staring at the concerned face of the girl who'd helped piece her together after her father's untimely return to her life. Who'd given her the strength to believe in herself and stand up against him. Who'd quickly and almost unknowingly become her best friend.

Erina started to breathe even harder, as her eyes started to fill with moisture in the real world this time. She didn't deserve her. She didn't deserve any of them.

Megumi was completely floored when the honey blonde haired girl clutched at her and started sobbing into her chest. She'd comforted Erina after more than one nightmare during her time at the dorm but she'd never seen her quite like this. Erina was usually more silent and unresponsive, almost like a form of shock, and Megumi would have to coach her back into responding to her queries. She would convince her to confide in her about whatever terror had visited her during the night and they would work through it together.

But this...this was something different. This wasn't the usual cocktail of fear and subservience that usually consumed her friend after nightmares of her father. This was grief, pure and simple. And Megumi didn't have the faintest idea why her friend would be feeling so grief stricken. Regardless, she did her best to comfort her.

"It's okay, Erina-chan. It's alright." She said soothingly, running her hands up and down the girl's back.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." sobbed Erina, gripping the girl even tighter around the middle. She kept repeating her mantra of apologies, which only served to confuse Megumi more.

"It's alright, Erina-chan." She tried again. "You have nothing to be sorry for, it's alright."

She kept rubbing her back, trying her best to almost will a sense of calm and peace into Erina. It wasn't only through cooking that Tadokoro Megumi was able to express hospitality and her efforts showed as Erina's cries started to quiet before falling silent altogether, her hiccupping breaths the only remnant of her sobs.

Neither of them moved for a time, both content in the other's embrace. After Erina's breathing had completely returned to normal, Megumi pushed on her shoulders, gently forcing the girl up so she could look into her tear streaked face.

"What happened Erina-chan?" she asked softly.

Erina didn't say anything, shame and guilt starting to encroach on her as her sadness took a backseat to them. She broke eye contact, looking away from the girl and biting her lip. Again, she was at a loss for words. What could she tell the girl?

"I'm sorry, Megumi-chan."

The words had slipped out, almost involuntarily. Above anything else, it's what Erina wanted to say. What she needed to say. She needed to let her know how sorry she was.

"It's alright, Erina-chan. Whatever it is, it's fine." assured Megumi, reaching down to clasp her friends hands in hers. But Erina moved her hands quickly, as if Megumi's hands had burned her, and crossed her arms across herself defensively.

"It's not, it's really, really not, Megumi-chan." said Erina quietly as she moved to stand up out of the bed. She wobbled as she got to her feet but she steadied after a few seconds, deeply breathing in and out, trying to get her equilibrium back.

"What do you mean, Erina-chan?" asked Megumi, standing up as well.

"I..." Erina trailed off, still unsure of just what she could say. How do you tell your best friend something like this?

"It's my father." She finally said. Not nearly the whole truth, but Nakiri Azami was certainly the root cause of it all.

"Alright. And what did he do this time? I've never seen you like this after a nightmare."

' _Because it wasn't something he did in a nightmare, Megumi-chan. What he did was all too real._ ' thought Erina. But she was too much of a coward to say it.

"It was nothing, Megumi-chan. I mean, it was the same sort of thing that always happened. You know, darkness, broken plates. Things like that." said Erina, trying her best to sound casual, and probably failing miserably. Her attempt would've worked better if she'd remembered that she'd never once addressed what had happened to her so casually. Ever.

Which made her behaviour stand out like a red flag to Megumi. The blue haired girl walked around to look into Erina's face but she found the other girl doing her best to avoid meeting her eyes. Megumi gripped the taller girl's shoulders firmly, stopping her shuffling movements and looked into sad, purple eyes.

"Erina-chan. You don't need to lie to me. What's wrong? Tell me, please. I want to help."

"Why?" said Erina, the word ringing with sadness and shame, which only served to confuse Megumi even more.

"What do you mean why?" she asked.

"Why me, Megumi-chan? Look at what my father has done to you. To all of Tōtsuki. Why would you want to help me?" Erina said, doing her best to fight down a resurgence of tears.

Megumi didn't say anything at first. Instead she just looked into Erina's teary face. And then she pulled the girl into a hug. A hug that was filled with all of the care and compassion that was the trademark of Tadokoro Megumi.

"Because you're my friend." said Megumi simply, as if she was stating the sky was blue or grass was green. She leaned back and held Erina's shoulders firmly, making eye contact with her.

"Now, what's wrong Erina-chan?"

Erina found herself unable to resist the petite girl's insistent gaze. Those that thought Megumi was nothing more than a timid wallflower had no idea how strong willed the girl could truly be.

In a halting voice, Erina started speaking. She recounted her encounter with Rindō, telling her about how the second seat had come to visit her to address something important to both the future of Tōtsuki and her family. Then she told her about what the second seat had accidentally let slip and about how she'd had an attack as a result.

Even after the recounting was done, Erina continued speaking, telling her about the nightmare she'd had immediately after, and the feelings of terror and guilt it had invoked. She told her about how Sōma had spoken in her voice and about how her father had used her very own words against her.

She kept speaking, leaving little to no details out, before finally falling silent after it became clear that there was nothing left to be said and she waited for her friend's inevitable reaction. But none came.

Megumi was simply staring at Erina, wide eyed and speechless. Her hands had fallen from Erina's shoulders and were instead at her sides limp. She blinked, slowly, and seemed to finally process just what Erina had said. Her mouth started to move and Erina began to cringe, ready for an angry tirade or perhaps a tearful rejection.

Instead she got a firm declaration.

"We can't stand for this."

Erina saw a fire in Megumi's eyes, one she hadn't seen since the Polar Star Dormitory had been threatened with eviction all those months ago. The same fire that led to her taking the lead and rallying their defences to hold the dorm until Sōma's shokugeki with Eizan was concluded.

"We're going to stop him, Erina-chan. We're going to stop your father and we're going to get our friend back."

Megumi reached out and gripped Erina's hands tightly, almost painfully.

"Together."

Yes, those who thought Tadokoro Megumi was nothing but a shy little girl on the back lines didn't know anything about her. Anything at all.

* * *

"Nakiri-ojou. What are you doing here? Weren't you otherwise occupied?" asked Sōma. He was sitting up straight backed, but his elbows rested on the table and his hands were interlocked which, combined with the room's dim lighting, hid much of his face from Alice.

But even considering the small portion of his face she could actually see, Alice was almost certain his expression was much too calm considering what was being projected on the room's side wall.

"What exactly is going on here, Sōma-kun?" asked Alice, her surprise quickly fading to be replaced by a calm, appraising look. It was by no means reflective of how she actually felt, but being able to mask your emotions was an ability Alice had perfected over the years. She just usually preferred a mask of pretentious silliness. But such a thing wouldn't be appropriate. Not here, not now.

Sōma eyed her, his familiar blank gaze locked with her red one.

"Have you spoken to Kobayashi-senpai as of yet?" he asked instead, completely bypassing her question.

He'd asked Rindō to speak with her and it was possible that's why she was back here right now. She'd clearly snuck back to the mansion somehow. He couldn't imagine someone as controlling as Nakiri Azami allowing his niece to discover something like this on a whim.

"What does Rindō-senpai have to do with any of this?" asked Alice, arching a delicate, ermine brow.

"That answers that question then, I suppose." said Sōma, standing to his feet and walking around the table towards her.

As he approached, Alice found herself feeling the urge to step away from him. Something that surprised her. She didn't scare easily, and she hardly expected to ever be afraid of the man in front of her. But she found herself wanting to step back and withdraw from his presence.

Fighting off the foreign feeling, Alice critically examined the boy in front of her, ignoring the fact that the piercing red stare she was giving him bordered on inappropriate.

At a glance, Sōma seemed to be his usual, apathetic self. He stood straight, shoulders back and arms at his side, almost soldier like. But, upon closer inspection, it seemed forced, almost unnaturally stiff, compared to the confident, brisk stance he usually had. His eyes were even more blank, doll's eyes in a human's skull.

What was most worrisome though, was the fact that they were red rimmed and his face was stained with tear tracks.

Alice looked at the projected image of her cousin before looking back at the chef in front of her. She walked past him, towards the projector. After a brief moment of fiddling, the screen faded, leaving the two chefs alone in the room with only the light from the single burning candle on the table to see by.

"What is he doing to you, Sōma-kun?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Nakiri-ojou. As I said, you shouldn't be here. You should leave. Now."

His voice was lifeless and empty but his tone made it clear that he wasn't giving her a suggestion. Alice narrowed her eyes at him.

"Is that a threat, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma glanced past her at the open doorway.

"If you were sincere in your desire to support me, then you will do your best to forget what you've seen here. You'll turn around, go back to your room and we'll move on as if nothing had happened. It would work out best for the both of us that way."

Alice looked at him calculatingly, her face still one of calm serenity.

"I'm not sure it would be that easy, Sōma-kun. It's not every day I walk in on something quite like this."

Her words were light but the tension in her voice was almost palpable. Before he could respond, the lights suddenly flickered back on, causing Alice to squint at the harsh brightness assaulting her unadjusted vision. Sōma glanced up sharply, his eyes also narrowed against the glare.

"Nakiri-ojou. With all due respect, you need to leave this room. Right now. We can discuss this later."

Alice was tempted to argue, but chose to resist the urge for the time being due to the urgency in his voice. He was clearly concerned about something, something important. Besides she'd get her answers one way or the other; she could afford to wait a few minutes.

"Fine, Sōma-kun."

Alice turned and stepped out of the room, Sōma following behind her and shutting the door. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone as he started to walk down the hall, his gait stiff but quick. Alice followed behind him, having to walk three steps to his two just to keep up.

"How long have you been home, Nakiri-ojou?"

"It's been about ten minutes." She said, curious as to why exactly he needed to know.

"And did you pass any staff on your way in? Security guards, cleaning staff, anyone?"

"Not that I saw." She said slowly, putting one finger to her chin, thinking. "I deigned to walk home and leave Ryo-kun with the car, as he'll be getting in quite a bit later. And I came from the side gates to the east, closest to the Cutting Edge RS' building. In fact, the mansion seemed surprisingly empty, even considering the late hour."

"That's by design, I'm sure. There would be less questions that way. It wouldn't do to have anyone walking in the way you did, Nakiri-ojou."

Sōma dialed a number on his phone, putting it to his ear. After a single ring, someone picked up with a crisp, professional greeting.

"Good evening, Manatabe. I need you to confirm that you saw Nakiri Alice enter the mansion about ten minutes ago if Nakiri-sama calls you...yes, that's correct. He's in the foyer then…alright, that will be all, thank you."

He hung up the phone, putting it into his pocket.

"Alright. Azami's on his way here right now to check in with me. As far as you're concerned, you were calling down the hallway, wondering if anyone was here because it was so dark, and I met you in the hall right before the lights came on. Alright?"

Alice nodded, eyeing the tense set of his shoulders from her position behind him.

"As you wish, Sōma-kun. But I expect you to provide answers to all of my questions when the current situation is resolved. Fair?"

Sōma looked over his shoulder at her.

"I can't promise I will have all of the answers you seek, Nakiri-ojou. But I will do my best."

Before Alice could retort and tell him how unsatisfactory his response was, he held his hand up before dropping it to his side, his pace slowing. She slowed alongside him, having a feeling as to just why he'd slowed down and she wasn't disappointed as she started to hear the _click-clack_ of expensive dress shoes on the stairwell ahead.

It wasn't long before Azami came into view, his stride purposeful as he walked towards the both of them. He looked over at Alice, and if he was surprised at her presence, he didn't show it.

"Good evening, uncle." she said coolly.

"Good evening, Alice." he said, his tone just as clipped before he turned to Sōma, levelling the full weight of his gaze on him.

"Sōma-kun. How is your progress this evening?"

"I've made substantial progress, Nakiri-sama."

His tone was back to the lifeless emptiness that he was becoming known for. All of his previous intensity and urgency had vanished as if it had never been there.

"I heard Nakiri-ojou's voice in the halls and came out to greet her and guide her back to her room. It seemed the lights were experiencing some sort of malfunction and she took it upon herself to investigate."

Azami looked over at Alice, who rolled her eyes at Sōma's implied admonishment.

"It wasn't so much investigation as simple curiosity. I simply wondered why our maintenance staff would be so negligent is all. It's most unbecoming of them."

Azami looked between the two, his eyes narrowing just the slightest bit, as if he was trying to see through them. He seemed satisfied with what he saw and he smiled, the expression almost seeming genuine.

"Quite right, Alice. I shall have to speak with the staff promptly and address this failing. Sōma-kun, you are done for the night. I trust you accomplished much?"

Almost imperceptibly, Sōma twitched. A small, innocuous movement of his shoulders that neither Nakiri missed.

"I did, Nakiri-sama. It was quite enlightening, as always."

"I'm happy to hear so. Good night to you both."

Azami turned to head back up the stairs but he paused, putting his hand in his pocket.

"I almost forgot."

A silver chain was held in his fingers. He extended his hand towards Sōma, who took it wordlessly.

"Thank you, Nakiri-sama. I wish you a pleasant evening."

Azami didn't bother to respond, instead continuing to head back up the stairs, the _click-clack_ of his shoes echoing off into the distance until they couldn't be heard.

Sōma pondered the chain held between his fingers, idly threading the links through his fingers. He didn't acknowledge Alice's questioning stare, but her voice wasn't so easily ignored.

"I hadn't noticed, Sōma-kun. But you seem to be acting quite differently than you did earlier today when you'd removed your… _jewellery_. Was I incorrect in my assumption that your little chain was similar to Ryo-kun's bandana?"

Sōma looked over at her and then back down to the metal links held in his hand.

"That is one of the questions I can't answer for you, Nakiri-ojou."

Alice frowned, crossing her arms.

"And just why is that?"

Sōma opened his mouth before pausing. He blinked, his eyes shifting as if he was seeing something she couldn't, before focusing back on her.

"I just don't know how much I can trust you."

The answer seemed to surprise both of them. Sōma tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he started to wind the chain around his wrist, staring through Alice as if she wasn't even there.

"It seems someone's chatty when they wake up." he said, his tone chiding.

Alice blinked, caught off guard by the non-sequitur.

"What are you talking about, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma didn't answer her, instead focusing on wrapping the chain securely around his wrist. As he got to the clasps, his fingers started to shake. He tried to link them together but his fingers weren't cooperating and, after one particularly strong jerk, he lost his grip entirely and the chain slipped off of his wrist, sliding to the floor with a clatter.

"Dammit!" he bit out harshly, causing Alice to jump in surprise as his expression shifted. For just a second, there was a look of such unbridled fury and hatred on his face that Alice found herself utterly terrified. Her feet felt like they were frozen to the floor and her heart was racing in her chest as Sōma glared at the floor, the negative emotions roiling off of him in waves she could practically taste.

Then his face had smoothed over, the familiar emptiness reasserting itself over both him and his presence, and he sighed.

"My apologies, Nakiri-ojou. That was rather rude of me. I didn't mean to startle you."

Sōma bent over, picking up the chain, this time slipping it around his hand and fastening it with practiced ease. He breathed in once, his eyes closing, before breathing back out and fixing his eyes onto Alice, who looked as if she'd seen a ghost.

"Are you alright, Nakiri-ojou?"

Alice stepped backwards at his voice, almost instinctively. She stared at Sōma as if she'd never seen him before.

"I…I'm just…I'm fine, Sōma-kun." she said, her voice nowhere near as convincing as it should be.

Sōma went to speak again but he paused as he heard more shuffling on the stairs. He glanced behind him to see two servants descend the stairs, empty trays held in their hands. They passed the two chefs by, giving each of them respectful nods, before heading down the hall.

"Perhaps we should move this discussion elsewhere, Nakiri-ojou. Do you find that acceptable?"

Alice took note of just where the servants were headed towards and, understanding the necessity for such a thing, she nodded and hesitantly followed Sōma upstairs, wondering if she would like what she was about to learn.

* * *

"I must say, Sōma-kun. I've lived here for almost a year, but this is the first time I've ever entered any of the servant quarters." said Alice, looking around the room appraisingly.

Even though they were just servant quarters, they were still rooms within the Nakiri mansion, and thusly, held to a much higher standard. The room was large, almost double the size of Sōma's past accommodations in the Polar Star Dormitory. One wall of the room was dominated by two large closets, while the other wall had furniture flush against it, specifically a bed, an armoire and a nightstand. A study desk sat in the corner, wedged in between the wall and the bed. Deep red, almost maroon, carpeting blanketed the room and a door leading to a bathroom was directly opposite the entrance to the room.

"It seems rather nice. Much nicer than your room back at the dormitory."

Despite her statement, and for all its amenities, Alice didn't feel any of the cosiness or warmth you'd normally associate with a home. There were little to no personal items throughout the room, the bed was crisply made and everything was neat and orderly. Were it not for the small bag in the corner of the room and a few books on the desk, she would've assumed that no one lived there at all.

Sōma closed the door behind her, walking to seat himself at the desk, facing where Alice stood at the doorway.

"I would presume that we didn't come here for small talk, Nakiri-ojou?"

Alice's small smile dropped and she huffed, moving to seat herself on the bed, crossing her legs primly.

"How impolite, Sōma-kun. But since you insist, let's get down to brass tacks, as they say."

Alice rested her chin on her palm, her red eyes searching as she looked at Sōma. She was more than a little concerned about what she'd glimpsed in the hallway earlier but she wasn't sure just how to go about broaching the topic.

"Why do you not find me trustworthy?" she asked instead.

Sōma crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair as he met her gaze.

"It is not that I don't find you trustworthy, Nakiri-ojou. It's more that I need to be very discerning with just who I place my trust in these days, as you can imagine."

"I don't think my imagination's quite up to it today, Sōma-kun. Care to elaborate on just why you need to be so discerning?"

Sōma wasn't fooled by the playful tone of her words.

"There are things I need to do. Things that Nakiri-sama wouldn't approve of, to say the least. Things I absolutely cannot have him finding out about before the time is right."

"And just what about me suggests that I'd tell him a single thing? There's no love lost between my dearest uncle and I, in case you couldn't tell." said Alice, the coldness in her voice all too apparent.

The corner of Sōma's lips turned up, ever so slightly.

"Trust me, Nakiri-ojou. I'm more than aware of that. I'm not concerned with you coming forward with anything to him. I'm concerned with who else you may tell, and what may be inadvertently revealed by their actions, along with your own. Keeping secrets isn't always as simple as keeping your mouth shut."

"I think you'll find that I'm more than capable of being discreet, Sōma-kun. I don't believe you're giving me enough credit. After all, haven't you noticed that none of our mutual associates have sought you out, despite the fact that you've been living here for almost two full days now?"

Sōma looked over at her, his surprise not completely hidden from her.

"I had simply assumed no one had bothered to seek me out yet. After all, I couldn't blame any of them for being put off by my recent actions."

Alice shook her head, her bang swaying to and fro.

"Come now, Sōma-kun. Give your friends more credit than that. If they knew where you were, I'm sure they would seek you out post-haste. But I decided to keep your residing here to myself. At least for now."

Sōma seemed to be evaluating her in a completely different light now. He'd known Alice had potential, it was why he had planned to seek her out in much the same way he'd sought Ikumi. But it seemed he'd underestimated just how cunning the heaven sent child of gastronomy could really be. A mistake that could have very well cost him under different circumstances.

"Besides. There are still the terms of our shokugeki that you have to adhere to, _ne_ Sōma-kun?"

Oh yes, Nakiri Alice was certainly cunning. Of that there was no question.

" _You would seek my seat as well, Nakiri-ojou?"_

" _Oh, please Sōma-kun. When I come for your seat, I will do it on even grounds. Not because you're arrogant enough to wager it so flippantly. No, I have different stakes in mind."_

" _I'm listening."_

" _We will keep the usual stakes. But, in addition, if I win, I want some insight into just what it is you're doing. I refuse to believe that someone like you would bow to my uncle without having some sort of ulterior motive. I know you're smarter than that, even if you often did your best to seem otherwise."_

" _And if you lose?"_

" _Oh, I won't lose. But on the off chance that I do, I'm sure you can come up with a sufficient penalty, Sōma-kun."_

It had only been a day since that previous conversation, but it was clear Alice was more than ready to cash in on her terms, forfeit or no.

"You clearly want me on your side. I can't imagine the infamous dog of Central forfeiting for any other reason."

"I didn't forfeit."

Alice looked confusedly at Sōma, whose eyebrows had drawn downwards, his lip set into something resembling a frown. It was another rare display of emotion, one of distaste.

"Sōma-kun. I mean nothing by it, but I distinctly recall…"

"I'm not saying that Yukihira Sōma didn't forfeit the match to you, Nakiri-ojou. I'm saying that I didn't."

Alice tilted her head, wondering if she'd heard him correctly. What he'd said made absolutely no sense to her, and she was sure the confusion showed on her face because Sōma sighed, sitting up and looking at her.

"Nakiri-ojou. You compared my chain to Kurokiba-san's bandana. And I told you that you weren't entirely correct or incorrect in such an assessment. Just how exactly does Kurokiba-san's transformation work?"

Alice tapped her chin thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling as she thought back.

"Well, when I first met Ryo-kun, he was always rather angry and intense. Foul mouthed too. It was simply how he was. As the years progressed, under my loving hand of course, he started to change. He grew more relaxed, more satisfied with life, but his…berserk tendencies, for lack of a better term…would still emerge at less than opportune times. Something that ruined more than one business deal for me, I'll have you know."

Alice frowned at the memory of her earlier days with the port town chef. He'd certainly been a troublesome aide in the beginning, to say the least.

"As a result, I decided that instead of trying to repress his inner nature, he should embrace it, and learn to control it. To bring it on and turn it off deliberately. Like a pot releasing steam at controlled intervals, instead of allowing the pressure to build and build before blowing its top. Hence the bandana."

Sōma nodded, looking down at the chain on his wrist contemplatively.

"I assumed it was something along that line. At the end of the day, the bandana is just a device, a trigger of sorts, that makes it easier for Kurokiba-san to compartmentalize his inherent intensity. He's still the same man underneath it all."

"Well, of course." said Alice, a bit suspiciously. Sōma had almost sounded…wistful.

He looked back up at Alice and this time, she was much more prepared for the intensity of Sōma's eyes, as a glimmer of the anger he'd displayed earlier shone through.

"I'm afraid that my… _situation_ isn't quite as clear cut. I won't bore you with the details but, to put it simply, I am not Yukihira Sōma. At least not in his entirety."

Alice turned the statement around in her head, trying to figure out just what exactly the boy in front of her was saying. She grew frustrated as she found no resolution that made any sense. She felt like she was trying to form a complete picture from a puzzle that had half the pieces missing.

"I don't understand. Did our dear Yukihira-kun have a twin stashed away somewhere?" she asked, knowing full well that that wasn't the case but hoping the small joke would alleviate some of the tension in the room while allowing him to better explain just what he was talking about.

"In a manner of speaking." he said simply, which only served to confuse and frustrate Alice even more.

"Yukihira-kun. I'm not usually averse to word games myself, but I would ask that you speak simply and plainly here. This is no time for riddles." she said, somewhat harshly as she crossed her arms.

Sōma smirked, a small upturn of his lips that still managed to convey his sardonic amusement at her impatience.

"Very well. In that case, I don't think I'm the one suited to answering your questions."

He raised his bound wrist, holding it out towards her.

"Would you like to do the honors?"

Alice looked at the hand outstretched towards her. She couldn't quite pinpoint why but this was clearly a moment of significance. So she restrained her irritation at such a seemingly mundane request and instead shuffled over on the bed, so that Sōma's wrist was within grabbing distance.

She reached out for the clasp, popping it off with a simple flick of her thumb. As if prompted, Sōma shivered, his face twitching as it had in the halls earlier. Deciding to treat it almost like a band aid, Alice pulled swiftly at one end, unwinding the chain from his hand in a smooth motion, leaving his wrist unadorned.

For a brief second, nothing happened. And then Sōma grit his teeth and closed his eyes, a shiver running through his body as his fists clenched tightly. His shoulders slumped and he exhaled sharply, before opening his eyes.

Warm, golden eyes met Alice's and she gasped at the noticeable difference. She'd seen Sōma without his chain at their shokugeki, certainly, but he'd still seemed fairly distant and aloof, if much more talkative than usual. But the man that sat before her now…

"Hey there, Nakiri-chan. It's been a while, huh?"

"Sōma-kun…you seem different. Or should I say the same?"

Sōma laughed, a sound filled with bright, if somewhat bitter, irony.

"A poetic way of putting it, I suppose. I'm probably a lot closer to the Sōma you would remember, even as incomplete as I am."

"Sōma, please. I'm only getting more and more confused." pleaded Alice, hiding just how relieved she was. The easy-going demeanour and bright grin were characteristics all too reminiscent of the Sōma they'd all thought had left them months ago.

"Well, in simplest terms, the chain you have there is like a trigger. Of sorts. When I wear it, I'm someone else. Still myself, of course. I'm not totally crazy. Just a little bit."

Sōma extended his tongue at her at his quip.

"It's easiest to think of it as…hmm…good and evil doesn't really fit. Light and dark? Nah, that's too pretentious. Let's go with strong and weak, although even that's not quite right."

Sōma spread his palms, almost seeming to show off his unchained hand.

"It's like we're two halves of the same whole, although we aren't completely distinct. We're both still the same person. We have the same goals and dreams, the same passions, the same strengths. But we're still different."

"When I'm wearing the chain, I'm the strong Sōma. I'm the willpower, the strength and the intelligence that make up such a big part of who I am. And when it's off, I'm weaker. Because I'm the one that feels. I'm the "soft" Sōma, the one who wouldn't have the stomach for the cruelty and deception you need to play this game."

"What game?" cut in Alice, although she was almost certain she knew. Sōma smiled, his expression open and honest.

"The game I play with Nakiri Azami, of course."

"But why, Sōma-kun? Is being expelled really worth all that you're putting yourself through? I thought you said you didn't even care about graduating from Tōtsuki."

Sōma looked at her, his expression almost confused before his eyes lit up. He grinned at her, cheekily.

"Oh, you think I'm doing this all because of what happened at the dorm when I punched out Azami?"

"You aren't?" asked Alice, her mind racing as she considered the implications.

Sōma shook his head.

"Nope. It may have been how all this started, but Pops got me out of that months ago. All of my efforts up to now have been in pursuit of a different goal."

"And what goal might that be?"

Sōma smiled mysteriously, tilting his head at her.

"Now, now. I can't give away all my secrets in one night, can I Nakiri-chan?"

Before she could continue her questioning, Sōma's phone rang, an upbeat tone from some anime as opposed to the usual stock telephone ring. He furrowed his eyebrows as he picked it up.

"Greetings Rindō-senpai."

His tone had slipped back into a professional one, something that was rather jarring to listen to when paired with his lively voice. He paused, listening as Alice wondered again just how he and the second seat of the Elite Ten Council were so closely associated. He'd joined their ranks barely two weeks ago.

"That's fine. I'll just do it myself. I'm with her right now, actually."

Alice's eyes snapped upwards to his, meeting his gaze, which seemed to be eyeing her with a sense of bemusement.

"No, I'm not…no we're at the Nakiri mansion."

Sōma blinked, his bemusement replaced by confusion.

"That's impossible. We've been here for at least forty five minutes, there's certainly no…wait. Exactly which Nakiri are we speaking of?"

A brief response. Sōma's phone crackled as he gripped it, a little too tightly.

"No. That is not who I meant."

Alice heard Rindō shout something, her voice coming in tinny through the speaker.

"You don't seem very apologetic. Which doesn't surprise me at all. We need to run damage control. Now. Where are you?"

Sōma stood up, taking the chain from Alice's hands.

"Alright. I'm on my way."

He put the phone in his pocket and looked at Alice, scratching the back of his head apologetically.

"Duty calls, as they say. We'll have to finish this conversation another time."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Sōma-kun." said Alice, getting to her feet.

"I've no doubt you will." he said, giving her a wan smile. As he began to exit the room, Alice spoke again.

"One last thing, Sōma-kun."

He turned to face her, having already began winding the chain around his wrist.

"You still haven't told me just why you're doing all of this."

Sōma looked at her, and he smiled again, but this time it was tinged with sadness.

"I suppose you could say, in a roundabout manner, that I'm doing it all because of my mother."

And with that enigmatic statement, Sōma departed from the room, leaving Nakiri Alice with a few answers but even more questions.

* * *

 **A/N: Here's chapter 6! I was a bit late this time, sorry everyone! It was a combination of IRL stuff and wanting to make sure this chapter was good. I still don't know just how well I conveyed certain things in it, but feel free to let me know what you think of it in a review. This chapter's a fairly important one, as I'm sure you can tell. I hope you enjoyed this, and I'll see you guys and gals next week (hopefully on schedule this time!)**

 **Also, just something to keep in mind: Nothing Sōma said to Alice during his explanation about his two sides was a lie. But, at the same time, sometimes the most damning things are those left unsaid. Take careful note of what gaps Sōma's explanation DIDN'T fill, as opposed to the ones they did.**


	7. Chapter 7

"And in conclusion, while there are several marked and potent differences between Chinese cuisine and Japanese cuisine, there are also several areas in which they overlap, and being able to utilize both the similarities and differences of the respective styles will allow you to succeed in tomorrow's practical. I expect great things, dismissed!"

The students sighed in relief, their pens dropping in unison with an almost notable thud. While the man they called the _Asura_ was a competent and entertaining instructor, the theory side of his class could be fairly heavy as far as the sheer amount of content. He'd often completely fill the whiteboards by the time the period had ended, and he had three, all as tall as he was!

Most culinary classes at Tōtsuki were focused on the practical aspect, preparing dishes based on the guidance of the teacher, whether through their own recipes or creating your own, depending on just what that particular class was focusing on. Diversity through Cooking and Travel, or DCT, had a fairly heavy theory aspect behind it as well. Some days, it felt more like a world history course, as opposed to a cooking one.

As the weary students packed away their things and proceeded to exit, there were two that didn't. Instead, they walked up to Joichiro's desk as he started to pack up his messenger bag.

"Joichiro-sensei?"

He looked up from his bag and he smiled genially.

"Erina-chan and Tadokoro-chan, good day. Did you enjoy the lesson?"

Erina nodded, still a bit star struck at having the privilege to be taught by Saiba-sama himself.

"Very much so, Joichiro-sensei! It was very enlightening. I don't often work with Eastern cuisine, so I've really learnt a lot this week. Some of the combination techniques you've created are awe inspiring. "

Joichiro laughed, nodding happily.

"Great, I'm happy to hear it Erina-chan. Now, how may I help you? Is there a part of the lesson you need me to explain in further detail?"

' _Further detail?!'_ both girls thought in fright as they looked behind him at the cramped handwriting filling the large whiteboards. There had to have been an essay worth of detail on each board alone! Joichiro had even delved into brief histories of the countries and just how different regimes and time periods had influenced the cuisine of today. Megumi looked at Joichiro's benign expression and gulped.

"Ah…I don't think that will be necessary, Joichiro-sensei." said Megumi meekly.

"Alright then, as long as you're certain. So what's up?" he asked casually, leaning back onto his desk.

"We…we wanted to discuss Sōma-kun with you, Joichiro-sensei." said Megumi, her expression becoming one of concern. Erina's face fell as she looked away, folding her hands self-consciously. Joichiro noted the shifts in mood and he straightened, his demeanour growing serious.

"Did something happen, Tadokoro-chan? Is this about the loss of your research society?" he asked calmly.

"How did you know about that, Joichiro-sensei?" asked Megumi in surprise.

Joichiro shrugged, folding his arms.

"What kind of father would I be if I didn't follow my son's efforts?" he said lightly, the way one would take about following their child's spelling bee career or local soccer game exploits.

"Well, we're not here because of that, Joichiro-sensei." said Megumi, fiddling with her hands nervously. "You see, we've recently learnt…that is…."

Megumi stopped speaking, trying to find a way to tactfully say what she wanted to say. How do you tell your friend's father that you think he was abused by that father's former kohai? Who is also the father of the girl who idolized you?

"Is this about Nakamura's less than ideal training methods then?"

Megumi blinked. Then blinked again. By the third blink, she's almost ready to respond. She thinks.

In total, it takes her about four straight blinks to fully grasp what Joichiro had said, and another two to form an eloquent, intelligent response.

"You…know?"

Joichiro's good cheer had faded slightly and he sighed as he reached up to his hair, running his hands through the purple locks.

"Yes, I know." he stated simply.

Megumi looked back at Erina, who was staring at their teacher, mouth hanging. Her eyes were wide and she looked like she was at a complete loss for words. Suddenly she started speaking, the words falling out in a rapid avalanche.

"Joichiro-sensei, I don't think you understand. Maybe my father lied to you, or misled you, but what he does isn't training in the conventional sense of the word."

"I'm well aware of just how unconventional your father's training techniques are, Erina-chan. Of that I am certain." he said gravely, what little cheer he'd possessed before fleeing, his face settling into a frown.

"Then how can you be okay with Sōma remaining under him?" Erina asked, confused and flustered. She'd looked up to Joichiro for years, had idolized him and everything he stood for as both a person and a chef. It grated on her more than a little to think that he would leave his own kin to such a fate.

"What would you have me do?" Joichiro asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. His question seemed genuine, which only served to confuse Erina even further.

"What would I…save him, Joichiro-sensei, that's what you should do!" demanded Erina hotly, snapping at him. At this, Joichiro only smiled wanly.

"My son doesn't need any saving, Erina-chan."

"But, Joichiro-sensei…" started Megumi.

"Listen to me. Tadokoro-chan. Erina-chan." said Joichiro, cutting the blue haired girl off.

"Sōma has made a choice. I came to his aid months ago, and procured his freedom from Nakamura, but he chose to stay."

"That's impossible!" cried Erina, thinking back to the dark and to the cold. The hunger, the fear. "No one would willingly subject themselves to the things my father does."

"He did." said Joichiro, looking pained. "I tried to get him to reconsider, but I just ended up getting wrapped up in it too."

"Wrapped up in what, Joichiro-sensei? What's so important?" asked Megumi, fighting the urge to curl back from authority. Joichiro settled his eyes on her and Megumi flinched back at the look in his eyes, instinctively, waving her hands frantically.

"N-n-never mind! Sorry for asking, Joichiro-sensei!"

"No." said Erina resolutely, stepping forward. "We're not sorry. All due respect, Joichiro-sensei. Yukihira-kun's our classmate and we're concerned for him. We need to know what's going on."

Joichiro sighed, shutting his eyes and leaning back.

"I understand, Erina-chan. I really do. But this is something that Sōma has committed to tackling himself. I won't betray his secrets, I insist you seek him out and talk to him if you really want answers."

"Will he listen to us?" asked Erina, almost desperately.

Joichiro looked at the girl, at the hope in her purple eyes and he wished he could give her the answer she wanted, instead of the truth.

"I can't say. Things have changed, Erina-chan, as has Sōma."

Megumi looked away, trying to ignore the despondent look on Erina's face. She didn't need Joichiro to tell her just how much Sōma had changed, she knew from experience. She still felt guilty for lying to her friends about what Sōma had told her that day, when she'd first seen him again.

" _Sōma-kun!" shouted Megumi happily, once they'd walked a good distance down the corridor proper. She briefly wondered just what it was that his father and Azami-sama had to talk about with Erina, but she chose to ignore that for now and focus on her friend, who she thought she'd lost months ago._

 _Sōma didn't visibly react to her happiness. He seemed to just be eyeing her critically, sweeping his gaze up and down her form. As the silence went on, he spoke, still in that dull, emotionless tone he'd been using in Joichiro's office._

" _Greetings, Tadokoro. Have you been well?"_

 _Megumi forced down her confusion at his demeanour, instead choosing to focus on the fact that he was back. Sōma was here, right in front of her. She could reach out and touch him if she wanted._

" _Yes, yes. I've been doing fine, Sōma-kun. I'm so happy you're back with us, where were you all these months?"_

 _Sōma folded his arms and leaned against the wall, looking away from her insistent gaze._

" _Do not concern yourself with it, Tadokoro. More importantly, do you remember when we spoke on the phone soon after I left, and I told you that things would change?"_

 _His tone was brusque and quick, businesslike. Megumi nodded, a bit confused and put off by his tone._

" _That change is beginning today. It's why I've returned. It's imperative that you prepare yourself for it. You and the others at the dormitory."_

" _What…what do you need us to do?" she asked, still trying to understand just what Sōma was telling her._

" _As I said, prepare yourselves. Prepare your cooking."_

" _But why?" asked Megumi. She tried to hide just how much the boy's callous demeanour was affecting her. When she'd seen him, she'd expected smiles, jokes and warm, golden eyes. Not this impassive shell._

" _Because, one way or the other, Central will be coming for you._ _ **I'll**_ _be coming for you. And you need to be strong enough to stop me."_

 _Megumi looked at the boy, her dearest friend, and she could only stare. What did he mean he was going to be coming for them? It couldn't…there's no way…_

" _You mean…like Eizan-senpai did?" she asked, already knowing the answer but hoping, praying, that she was incorrect. That she was overreacting._

" _Yes." he said, the simple confirmation almost a physical blow to Megumi as she felt tears start to prick at her eyes._

" _I don't understand, Sōma-kun. I-"_

" _Don't call me that." Sōma said, his voice dropping into a lower, more dangerous tone. "Sōma-san would be fine. Or even just Yukihira. But not Sōma-kun. Do not address me so affectionately, Tadokoro."_

 _Megumi reared back, stunned. What was this? Who was this? Where had her best friend gone?_

" _You…why would you say something like that? Why are you being this way Sōma-kun?"_

" _This is how things are now, Tadokoro. You need to accept it."_

" _Why?" she asked again, tears starting to trickle down her face._

" _Because this is how it has to be."_

" _That's not a real answer!" Now the tears were flowing strongly, and Megumi hiccupped, covering her mouth with her hands._

" _It's the best I can give you. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."_

 _The apology was said in that same, flat tone and it rang hollow in Megumi's ears. It felt insincere. Like a bold faced lie. The Yukihira Sōma she knew didn't have a dishonest bone in his body. He always told the truth, even to his detriment. Blunt honesty was one of his trademarks. This cagey, ambiguous speech was something she would never expect from him._

" _Ah, Sōma-kun. I see your reunion is going well."_

 _The new voice sounded just as impassive as Sōma's, although there was an undertone of sarcastic amusement that made it clear it didn't mean what it said._

 _Megumi turned to face Tōtsuki's new director. She'd seen him from afar before, on television and at Erina's booth at the festival, but this was the first time she'd ever seen Nakiri Azami up close. His dark clothing and lidded gaze would've normally terrified her into a stuttering mess. Instead, it just made her angry. The angriest she could remember being in a long time._

" _Give him back!" she shouted tearfully, facing down the director of Tōtsuki, who seemed surprised at her sudden outburst. Which kept him from noticing the open look of shock on Sōma's face, a slip in his façade that would've normally been noted with keen interest by Azami._

" _I'm sorry, of whom do you speak?" he asked lightly, as if they weren't all aware of exactly which 'him' Megumi meant. She ignored the passive aggressive question, instead just repeating her demand with even more force._

" _Give. Him. Back."_

 _Azami looked like he was ready to burst into laughter. Instead all he did was smile, his eyes narrowing as he stared down at Megumi as if he was going to consume her and completely overwhelm her. It was a well-practiced expression by the Nakiri, used anywhere from on the street to inside a courtroom. Grown men had cowered before this gaze, and would do so again._

 _Yet the blue haired girl stood strong. Her anger and grief gave her the strength she needed to meet Azami's gaze head on with a sheer tenacity that vaguely reminded him of when he'd first started dealing with the Yukihira boy._

 _Then it was all shattered as Megumi felt a hand on her shoulder, startling her from her impromptu staring contest._

" _Tadokoro-san. I must insist you show more respect to Nakiri-sama. It is not your place to give him orders."_

 _Sōma pulled Megumi back, not firmly but not gently either, and bowed his head in deference._

" _I must apologize for my classmate's behaviour, Nakiri-sama. I'll escort her back now, and reprimand her in your stead."_

 _This time, Azami did laugh. A low, gentle one filled with good humour._

" _See that you do, Sōma-kun. I'll be waiting for you in the main hall."_

 _And with that, Azami turned and walked away, leaving the two chefs alone._

" _Come, Tadokoro." said Sōma, gesturing for her to follow. He started walking back but noticed that Megumi had yet to move, still standing where she had been. He noted her shaking shoulders but pointedly ignored the implication, instead turning his back to her._

" _I need to leave, Tadokoro. But I must first escort you back to Yukihira-sensei's office."_

" _He's not Yukihira-sensei…" she whispered, the words carrying easily across the silent corridor._

" _He's pops. Dad. Your father. He's your father, Sōma-kun!" With each word, Megumi's voice got louder until she was yelling at the boy's back. "What is wrong with you? Don't you care about any of us? Me? Isshiki-senpai? Shun=kun? Ryoko-chan? Erina-chan?"_

 _At the last name, Sōma turned and Megumi couldn't identify the look in his eyes before they settled back into their blank passivity._

" _So you've been following the instructions I left you with then? You've been taking care of Nakiri?"_

" _Y-yes, we have." Megumi responded, taken off guard by his sudden interest. Sōma sighed, his expression unchanging but an almost tangible sense of relief radiating from his posture._

" _That's good. You have my thanks, Tadokoro."_

 _With that, he started walking, heedless of Megumi's protests. All she could do was follow along behind him until they were both back in front of Joichiro's door. As Sōma went to knock, Megumi reached forward and grabbed his sleeve, halting his hand._

" _Sōma-kun…"_

 _He turned to face her pleading eyes and yearning expression._

" _Are you going to come back to Polar Star? To us?"_

 _To me._

 _Sōma looked down at her before he gently pulled his sleeve from her grasp. He put his hand on her shoulder in what would've been a gesture of comfort, if it didn't feel so cold and impersonal._

" _Tadokoro. There will be an announcement in the main hall today, at 4:30. An important one. And it's imperative that Nakiri attends it, please ensure that she does."_

 _With that, Sōma's hand left her shoulder and he knocked solidly on the door._

" _Come in!"_

 _As Sōma moved to open the door, he paused and said one final thing. This time, his voice wasn't blank or lifeless at all, instead filled with a strange melancholy._

" _I would ask that you keep what we've spoken of today to yourself, Tadokoro. If you still have any faith in me, please do this one last thing for me."_

 _And before Megumi could even respond, he opened the door._

"Megumi-chan!"

Megumi looked up, startled out of her sudden reverie into concerned, purple eyes.

"Are you alright?" asked Erina, looking her over with concern. Megumi smiled back, fighting back the feeling that lashed out at the girl. It was a dark, bitter thing. Something Megumi wasn't used to feeling at all, let alone towards one of her close friends. It had started ever since her first conversation with Sōma, this feeling that would rear up and fill her with these dark emotions towards Erina. And it only seemed to be growing over time.

Megumi would like to say she didn't know what it was. She would like to just ignore it and pretend it didn't exist, but that was getting harder and harder with each interaction she had with her. And it was only made worse whenever she saw Sōma. When he'd beaten her RS' president, who'd also wagered his expulsion against the boy's seat, Erina had tried to cheer Megumi up with cupcakes she'd prepared earlier that day.

Megumi had accepted the pastry with grace and a smile, but the irrational urge to throw the pastry directly at the girl had never left. She'd ended up throwing the little cake away discreetly, an act that filled her with both satisfaction and guilt over said satisfaction.

"I'm fine, Erina-chan." said Megumi, smiling back at her. Another lie. She wasn't fine. No one should feel this way about their friends, but Megumi forced the feeling down as she always did. It would go away in time, she was certain of it.

"If you say so." said the blonde, not wholly convinced but trusting her friend's judgement. "Joichiro-sensei was just telling me that he'd be willing to give us some extra lessons."

"Extra lessons?" inquired Megumi thoughtfully, before thinking back to the classes they'd had and blanching. "Erina-chan, are you sure that's a good idea?"

Joichiro seemed to have recovered his good humour while Megumi was lost in thought and he grinned at her.

"Relax, Tadokoro-chan. These wouldn't be lessons for my class. These would be practical lessons in cooking, specifically tailored to you both."

When what he said registered, Megumi's jaw dropped and she looked at Joichiro, who looked smugly at her expression. Joichiro's class focused on diversity in cooking, true, but as far as hands on teaching, he mostly left them to their own devices. He would give them the theory and the knowledge, but it would be up to them to implement it in the dishes of their choosing.

It was a creative way to teach, and it certainly allowed them all to grow as chefs in their own, unique manner but it wasn't the same as what Joichiro was talking about her. He was talking about something completely different. Something that would be revolutionary for their abilities in the kitchen.

"Joichiro-senpai. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Joichiro shrugged, much too casually.

"How should I know? Unless you think I'm offering you and Erina-chan temporary apprenticeships. In which case, yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Megumi was speechless. The man before her was hailed as the Asura of the cooking world, a living legend that had cooked in more countries than she could probably name. He was a second seat during the Golden era of the Polar Star Dormitory, a chef on par with, if not superior to, such names as Nakiri Azami and Dojima Gin. And that's not even accounting for the years of experience he accumulated after leaving Tōtsuki. He was a chef on another level, one Megumi had never even dreamed of seeing, let alone learning from.

"Really?"

At Erina's scandalized look, Megumi hastily revised her statement, blushing brightly.

"N-n-not that it wouldn't be a huge honour, Joichiro-senpai. An amazing honour. The highest of honours. I simply can't thank you enough, or apologize enough for my lack of courtesy. _Gomen, gomen, gomen._ "

At Megumi's panicked barrage of politeness, Joichiro could only laugh, clapping the girl on the shoulder, stopping the deluge of pleasantries.

"Tadokoro-chan, relax. I'm sure I more than understand how _honoured_ you are." he said teasingly. Megumi blushed even brighter, especially when she noticed the mischievous smile on Erina's face. She ignored the spark of irritation it inspired, forcing it down.

"Thank you, Joichiro-senpai. I really do appreciate you offering such an opportunity, it's just that…I mean, may I ask why?"

"Because Joichiro-senpai is bound by his word to keep Sōma's secrets. And we both know that there are mules less stubborn than Yukihira-kun. So if he won't tell us anything on his own, then we'll simply force him to submit to us."

Megumi didn't know what exactly she meant but then she realized. Throughout Tōtsuki's entire history, there was always one thing that stood above all. One thing that could supersede any decree, any promise, any agreement. One ironclad method of enforcing your will and ensuring your demands were met, even beyond its walls.

Shokugeki.

* * *

"Hayama-kun…Hayama-kun, are you in here?"

Shiomi Jun stepped into the dark room, squinting. She fumbled with the light switch, flicking it on. As the room lit up, she looked around before spotting her white haired assistant.

"Hayama-kun!"

The boy stirred briefly, mumbling a few words before going straight back to sleep, his head resting on one of her large spice text books. Jun smiled nostalgically. It wasn't often she caught Hayama like this. He was always so focused, so capable. Even after pulling all-nighters, he'd usually still be up and about before her.

She walked over, placing her hand on his shoulder and shaking him gently. It didn't take much time for him to open his eyes and blink up at her groggily.

"Jun, hello. I was simply-"

His statement was cut off by a yawn as he sat up, sweeping stray bangs out of his face. He looked around, noticing where he was and the fact that there was a piece of paper stuck to his cheek. He started to blush, the tint barely visible on his dark complexion.

"I'm so sorry, Jun. I was studying last night, and I must have fallen asleep."

He stood up, only swaying slightly as he tried to get his bearings. The paper fell from his face in a flutter.

"I'll water the plants immediately, and I'll get started on breakfast. What would you like? I'm thinking we can…"

As he talked, he went to step away but he found his progress stymied by the short professor, who looked up at him sternly.

"Now listen here, Hayama-kun. You relax, right now. And go get some real rest. You've been running yourself ragged for weeks now."

"I don't have the time to do that, Jun." he said, trying to hide just how exhausted he really was. The few hours of rest he'd caught face down in _The World of Indonesia's Aromatic Plants_ had already been more than enough time wasted as it was.

"For the last time, things will be fine. WE will be fine, Hayama-kun. I've got faith in you."

Usually the praise would've been comforting, but it only served to make Hayama more distressed. Ever since Yukihira had returned and started purging Tōtsuki, Hayama had begun preparing for his eventual showdown with the red headed enforcer. He'd watched every single one of his shokugekis. He'd spoken to those who had lost, the ones that were willing to speak about the event anyway, trying to figure out just what it was that had changed about the chef. It was more than obvious something had, but he had a frustrating time getting any details on his cooking.

He'd even gone to a few of the matches, managing to seat himself in the front rows, hoping that his nose would be able to pick out any exploitable flaws in the boy's new style. But his efforts had been in vain. Sōma had matched each and every opponent in their respective cuisines, with barely a hint of his unique flair shining through. It was one thing to beat a Tōtsuki 2nd year, it was another thing to unanimously trounce dozens of them in their respective specialities without even hinting at your own.

Hayama's nose had only bad news for him, as it spoke of the technical perfection of each and every one of Sōma's dishes. There wasn't a single errant wisp of smoke out of place, something that should've been downright impossible. He'd heard tales of the first seat, Tsukasa Eishi, and how he cooked in a similar manner, all poise and perfection down to the very last knife swipe, and wondered if Sōma had studied with him to attain such mastery.

"I just…I don't know Jun. I fought Yukihira at the Autumn Elections. I beat out him and Kurokiba, but it was close, much too close. Now he's had months to train with Tōtsuki's best and he has the backing of the director himself. What do we have to combat that with?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it actually sounds rather terrifying." admitted Jun, shivering as she thought of the now truly frightening spawn of Saiba-senpai.

"But, even if we lose and the seminar gets shut down, we'll still have each other, Hayama-kun."

"I won't lose." retorted Hayama, with confidence he didn't really feel. He felt a small hand grasp onto his and he looked over at Jun, who was smiling up at him.

"As I said, Hayama-kun. I have faith in you. I'm simply saying that, no matter what happens, that won't change and I'll still be here."

Hayama gripped her hand back, feeling a warmth in his chest. This was why he couldn't lose. This right here. This warmth. This woman. She may try to deny it, but this seminar was everything to her, which meant it was everything to him too. What would she do without it? Researching spices, while not as flashy or extravagant as some of the other branches of the culinary arts, wasn't cheap. Without the funding provided by the seminar, her research would stagnate and she'd quickly become a footnote in Tōtsuki's history.

She'd continue on as a professor, teaching classes and assisting students. He would continue on as a chef, learning and growing. They would still be together.

But would she be happy? That was the question, and Hayama refused to be forced into finding out the answer to it. He would do everything in his power to keep her happy, even if it meant a few sleepless nights.

A knock resounded on the door and Jun let go of his hand embarrassedly. He smiled down at her before moving over to the door, rubbing at one of his eyes.

"Welcome to the Shiomi seminar. How can I help you?"

He opened the door and met cold, golden eyes. Hayama felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. Fear. Was this real? Was he still asleep and having a nightmare?

"Greetings Hayama-san. May I come in?" asked Yukihira Sōma, before taking the initiative and walking inside, past Hayama who had yet to move.

"Ah. Greetings to you as well, Shiomi-san."

"Sōma-kun." She responded, her usual friendliness exchanged for nervous politeness. "Can I get you some tea?"

Sōma shook his head, seating himself on one of the couches.

"No, that's alright, but thank you for your consideration. I'm afraid I don't have much time; I just have something I need to discuss with Hayama-san. In private, if you would be so kind."

"Eh?"

Jun blinked at the boy, who merely stared back at her, expectant. After a time, Jun seemed to understand that she was being dismissed. If she weren't so eager for an excuse to leave the Central chef's presence, she would've been much more offended by his dismissing of her from her own seminar room. As it were, she just bowed and walked towards the door.

She paused by Hayama, looking up at him.

"Hayama-kun, would you like me to stay?"

Hayama still hadn't moved from the door, although he'd now turned to face where Sōma sat on the couch, his unreadable expression matched by Hayama's own. The spice chef turned to Jun, and he smiled at her, placing his hand on her head.

"I'll be fine, Jun. I'll call you when we're done."

"H-Hayama-kun!" she snapped, slapping his hand off of her head, her cheeks red in abashment. "Don't treat me like a child."

Despite her bluster though, Jun looked up at him through her glasses, her expression filled with worry and concern.

"I'll be right next door, ok?"

"Thank you, but I already told you I'll be fine, Jun. Don't worry."

The two exchanged a soft smile and Jun left, Hayama shutting the door behind her. He turned to face Sōma, his composure once more withdrawn.

"Well then, Yukihira. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Sōma leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms.

"As you know, Hayama-san. Nakiri-sama is looking to abolish all independent, self governed organizations within Tōtsuki. The Shiomi seminar falls under that umbrella, and is slated for removal, pending your defeat in a Shokugeki with me."

"You sound rather confident, Yukihira." commented Hayama, strolling over to take a seat opposite him. He folded his arms, leaning back and mirroring Sōma's casual posture.

Sōma didn't smile, but Hayama could tell that the light jab amused him.

"Is it confidence when you assume the mouse will fall before the lion?"

"No. But it's arrogance when you fail to realize that the mouse is a lion in and of itself." countered Hayama with little heat. Sōma shrugged.

"All posturing aside, the shokugeki to determine the Shiomi seminar's continued existence at this school is going to be sometime in the coming week. And I understand that it's in your best interest to win. So I'm here to make you an offer."

"Pass." said Hayama with no hesitation. Sōma quirked an eyebrow at him, tilting his head.

"You haven't even heard what I've had to say, Hayama-san."

"I don't need to hear what you have to say, Yukihira. I've beaten you before; I'll simply do it again. Darker clothing and a counterfeit tongue won't save you from my superior nose."

Sōma stared into Hayama's dark green eyes, his expression betraying nothing. After a while, Sōma sighed.

"Hayama-san, I would beg you to reconsider. It is in both of our best interests if you do."

Hayama said nothing, instead choosing to look at his classmate contemplatively. While he hadn't been very close with Soma before he left, the red head had spent more than one afternoon at the Shiomi seminar after losing to him at the Autumn elections, trading recipes and cooking tips. While Hayama would hesitate to call the boy a friend outright, there was definitely some sort of bond built between them, like two warriors that fight in the same battlefield, day in and day out. So Hayama could attest that the Sōma of those days was more than trustworthy.

But the Sōma that stood before Hayama now…was different. Hayama thought about all of the organizations Sōma had ruthlessly disbanded, and the number of students he'd been responsible for expelling after using his seat on the Elite Ten Council as bait. He'd shown little to no remorse, collecting their uniforms like some sick trophy of his achievement.

Hayama couldn't reconcile the Sōma of the Autumn Elections with the Sōma he saw before him. The difference was like night and day, which only left him even more confused as to how he should handle the situation. His next words were clipped, but sincere.

"Out of respect for what you once were, I will listen. Now talk."

Sōma's lips upturned ever so slightly as he leaned forward, interlocking his hands.

"While Nakiri-sama believes that all independent organizations deserve to be disbanded, I am of a different mind. While I can agree that there are many unworthy of what Tōtsuki stands for, there are more than a few that have potential. Both in what they represent, and in what they can do for the school as a whole. The Shiomi seminar is one of them."

Sōma gestured around, at the veritable mountains of text strewn throughout the room, at the plants lined off neatly on the table and at the blackboard covered in notation and formula.

"Shiomi-san's work is exemplary. She is well deserving of the money Tōtsuki invests in her program, and she proves that time and time again. Between her hybridization research and her work in adapting foreign aromatic flora to Japan's native climate, she's a boon to Tōtsuki if there ever was one."

"And all of that isn't enough for you to allow her to continue her work in peace?" asked Hayama, his tone icy.

"It's more than enough for me, Hayama-san. But Nakiri-sama is a different story. And his word is absolute. For one definition of absolute, anyway."

The implication in the offhand statement was clear, and Hayama wondered just what it was that Sōma was doing. He couldn't tell if the boy was honestly trying to help him or baiting him into doing something that would get him expelled.

"So what exactly is your offer, Yukihira?"

"It's simple. In our shokugeki, I will throw the match. In exchange, when the time comes, I expect you to lend me your assistance."

Hayama hummed idly, pulling a stick of spice from his pocket and twirling it around his fingers. Even at a distance, his nose picked up on the subtle traces of cinnamon and mint wafting from the stick. Sōma was talking about match fixing, which was notable considering just what he'd done to Eizan for the exact same thing months ago. How times change.

"So you'll forfeit for me, the way you did for Alice?"

At that, Sōma's expression tightened and Hayama tensed, caught off guard by the sudden tension in the room.

"I didn't forfeit to Nakiri-ojou, Hayama-san."

Hayama wondered just what he'd said to offend Sōma. It wasn't as if he was rubbing it in his face, the boy had willingly surrendered to her after all. But it seemed reminding him of that fact set him off. Which was something Hayama filed away for further consideration. Something so innocuous disrupting Sōma's infamously stoic equilibrium could be used to his advantage.

Choosing to simply bypass the statement for now, Hayama addressed another one of his concerns instead.

"How many have you made this offer to then, Yukihira?"

Sōma didn't answer for a moment, instead just staring off to the side, trying to regain his composure. With notable effort, the cool mask slipped fully back into place and Sōma finally looked back at Hayama.

"You would make three, Hayama-san."

Hayama didn't let the surprise he felt show on his face. Three people? Out of the dozens of independent organizations that Sōma had culled, he'd only made this offer to three others. Something wasn't right here.

"Who are the other two?"

"Is that relevant?" asked Sōma lightly.

"Very." said Hayama, before it suddenly hit him. The only two anomalous matches throughout Sōma's entire campaign thus far.

"The Don RS and the Cutting Edge RS."

Sōma saw no reason to deny it and confirmed Hayama's suspicions. Hayama thought back to those matches in particular. While Nakiri had won courtesy of Sōma's forfeit, Mito had lost by forfeiting her own match. So it was clear his terms varied, somehow or the other, and that this was about more than simply preserving clubs Sōma found valuable to the school overall. Something deeper was going on here, and Hayama found himself feeling wary.

He hadn't lived on the streets for years now, but he still retained more than a few of the instincts he'd developed from that time in his life. And they were all screaming at him to step cautiously, the way they would around dark alleys or suspicious groups of children. He'd had nothing but problems when he ignored his instincts in the past, so he chose to trust their guidance on this particular matter as well.

"I don't think we'll be able to come to an accord on this, Yukihira. I'm sure you can understand why I'd be more than a little hesitant to rely on your word alone."

Sōma looked at Hayama and noted the resolute set of his gaze before sighing and standing up. He headed towards the door, but not before speaking once again, his tone one of finality.

"I more than understand, Hayama-san. I can only hope that you don't come to regret your decision."

Hayama watched the chef leave, his steps barely making noise as he exited the room, and Hayama sighed, leaning back against the couch. For all his confidence and bluster, he still found doubt in his heart and wondered if he shouldn't have taken him up on his mysterious offer. At the very least, it would've guaranteed Jun could continue doing what she loved, and there wasn't much Hayama wasn't willing to do to ensure that happened.

 _As I said, Hayama-kun. I have faith in you_

Hayama's eyes sharpened, the doubt in his heart being chased away by something much stronger that resided there. His reason for cooking hadn't changed. It would never change. And as long as she continued to have him, he would topple the first seat himself if it would keep her happy.

* * *

"Hello again everyone! Urara-chan here for another exciting shokugeki match! Today, we have yet another attempt by a school club to remain independent from the Central machine. This match should prove to be an exciting one, as it is a rematch of sorts, a redo of the Autumn Elections finals sans one Mad Dog!"

The crowd cheered, excited by the prospect of seeing such an intense bout. While most had already surrendered themselves to Central's dominance, there were still a few stragglers that rooted against Yukihira, and they were never louder than on this day. While the premier enforcer had already faced and dominated many an opponent, there was hope yet that the crown jewel of the 92nd generation, the man that had won the Autumn Elections and secured himself at the top of the pack of the freshmen would come back and serve Sōma a defeat.

Hayama stood at his station, taking deep breaths as he went over his ingredients for what felt like the hundredth time. While he wasn't completely without nerves, he felt much more assured in his chances for victory. He couldn't lose, not when he had something to fight for, unlike Yukihira, who was even more purposeless than he'd been back then.

"My offer still stands, Hayama-san."

Speak of the devil. Hayama turned to Sōma, who stood across from him. He seemed oblivious to the chaotic mix of praise and condemnation from the crowds around them.

"Thanks but no thanks, Yukihira. I'm more than capable of defeating you without any sort of special treatment."

"Suit yourself." Sōma said, shrugging casually before walking back to his station, his eyes glancing over the array of tools he had laid out in preparation.

"Alright, it seems our combatants are ready. Neither of them needs any introduction, but I'll do my best anyway! Representing Central, we have the man they call the False God's Tongue, the Black Jewel, Central's premier enforcer, Yukihira Sōma!"

The reaction was decidedly mixed, as it usually was, although the majority seemed to be leaning towards jeers and insults. It seemed there really were many placing their faith in Hayama today.

"And representing the Shiomi seminar, the man considered the strongest freshman of the Jewels generation, with a nose on par with the God's Tongue, Hayama Akira!"

The cheering was through the roof, as those present showed their support for the aromatic chef, who ignored them all as he looked through the crowd, scanning for someone before his eyes found her. Jun was cheering loudly, holding two fans with his name emblazoned across them. Hayama smiled, the last of his nerves fading, leaving only steel and willpower.

"The stakes are the same as always: If Hayama-kun wins, then the Shiomi seminar remains on as part of Tōtsuki, with increased budget and land allocated to it. If Sōma wins, then the Shiomi seminar is disbanded and its resources are given over to Sōma-kun. Are the contestants ready?"

Seeing both of them nod, Urara grinned and raised her hand in the air.

"Then BEGIN!"


	8. Chapter 8

Both chefs set to work, another chorus of cheers rising up in anticipation. Whether their support was for Hayama or Sōma, each spectator was united in their eagerness to watch the upcoming battle. They watched the chefs move around their stations, marvelling at the precision with which they worked.

"Now, there's no specific theme for the match, per our challengers' request. But a noted criteria that they will be judged on is the depth of flavour of their dish, with special attention paid to the seasonings!" said Urara, her voice echoing out across the arena.

Hayama pulled out several small containers, laying them out one after the other. Curiously, despite them bearing black labels, there seemed to be nothing written on them. He pulled a baking sheet from a drawer, placing it on the counter while simultaneously reaching into a plastic bag. A quick movement of his hand saw several potatoes lined up on the sheet and another one saw them all dashed in canola oil. With a few deft flicks of a brush, each spud was fully coated in an oily sheen before the entire sheet was placed into an oven.

Across the hall, Sōma had pulled a wrapped package from a cooler. He unveiled it, tossing the wrapping aside to reveal a bundle of fish, freshly purchased if the color of their gills and scales was anything to go by.

"Ah, it appears Yukihira will be using salmon in his dish." said one of the judges, smiling as he thought about what the young chef could do with the fish.

"What are you smiling for? This is Yukihira we're talking about. No matter how good it tastes, you won't enjoy it." muttered another judge bitterly. He'd judged more than one of Sōma's recent cook-offs, and he found himself more than frustrated with the Central cook's peculiar style.

"No, no Fushima-san. You weren't there, I judged Yukihira's match against Nakiri Alice last week and his dish then was exquisitely done! It's my theory that you can only enjoy Sōma's cooking when he's against a challenging opponent."

"Really now…" murmured the second judge, turning to follow Hayama's movements as he pulled something from a sealed bag.

"It appears Hayama-kun is going to be cooking some sort of chicken dish! It's a very versatile meat, as most of you know, so I can only imagine what he has in store for us!" announced Urara happily, drinking in the good cheer of the crowd as they watched the dark skinned youth work.

Hayama laid his chicken out, the bird covered in glistening liquid that spoke of some sort of prep work. He drew out his knife, cutting at the bird and separating it into its component parts while ensuring each and every bone was removed and put to the side.

"Such speed…" marvelled the third judge, watching as the pile of bones to the side grew at an insane rate until Hayama was left with a pile of meat on one cutting board and a pile of bones on another. He tipped the bones into a pot before turning up the heat on it and covering it. He moved to another counter, proceeding to cut at a collection of peppers, onions and celery that he'd brought out earlier.

In the audience, Jun smiled as she watched Hayama work. He'd discussed this match several times with her over the past few days, and they'd worked together to come up with a plethora of ideas before settling on one that would really speak for both Hayama and the Shiomi seminar as a whole.

' _This isn't like the Autumn Elections, Jun. I'm not fighting for me this time. I'm fighting for us. And this dish will represent that.'_

Jun placed her hand over her chest, feeling a warmth there that was becoming more and more persistent these days.

' _Do your best, Akira-kun,'_

As if he could hear her thoughts, Hayama's eyes snapped up and he caught her gaze, returning her soft smile with one of his own, before resuming his work.

"Ah, a rare display indeed. With Sōma cleaning his fish and Hayama deboning his chicken, it's almost as if we were watching two hunters stripping their prey as opposed to two cooks in the kitchen." commented Urara, watching as Sōma cut his fish into thin strips, stripping the meat from the bones with expert precision, with not a shred of the fish's flesh left behind.

As both chefs started preparing their pans, aromas started to slowly trickle into the arena. The rich scent of animal fat was accompanied by the spicy, green scent of various spices. Mouths started to water as the air began to slowly but surely fill with delectable smells.

"Oh…these scents. I can't believe it. They haven't even started cooking any of their meat yet." said an onlooker, looking down at the empty pans in wonderment.

His words were soon proven false as Sōma placed several of his cuts into the pan and, with a sizzle, the scents in the room practically flared up in excitement as it washed over the crowd, bathing them in spiced fragrance.

In contrast, Hayama merely started browning his chicken, the scent no less delicious, but much less prominent than Sōma's, an oddity for the aromatic chef.

"It seems Hayama-kun is holding back on us." commented Alice from her seat in the stands. Flanking her were Ryo and Erina, who'd both decided to come and witness what would certainly be one of the most momentous duels of the purge.

Ryo looked angry, his gaze dangerously sharp even with his bandanna safely tucked away in his pocket. Alice elbowed him, pouting.

"Come now, Ryo-kun. Don't be like that, I'm sure you'll get your rematch someday."

"Don't patronize me, ojou. I'm not a child." muttered Ryo, the bitterness in his voice belying his words.

"Ah, I see, I see." said Alice, smiling cheekily.

Erina said nothing, instead just watching the match closely. It was clear that Hayama's talents had only improved since the Autumn Elections, but it was unclear as to whether they would be enough to deal with Yukihira Sōma as he was now.

"It would seem that Sōma-kun is preparing a sauce of his own design!" announced Urara excitedly.

Indeed, Sōma was now stirring a dark red colored mixture in a small sauce pan, adding in several dashes of seasoning from the many bottles on his station. He drizzled a small portion onto a spoon, tasting the mixture, before nodding and adding in a few more pinches of dark powder. The simmering sauce's scent started to filter into the air, only adding to the scent of Sōma's gently cooking fish filets.

Hayama moved the thoroughly cooked chicken to a bowl, pouring the remaining oil into another pot before adding in flour and stirring the resulting mixture vigorously. With his other hand, he grabbed one of the small, sealed jars he'd brought. With a flick of his thumb and index finger, the cap came off and Hayama poured, a dark collection of flakes dropping into his dish.

The effect was almost instantaneous, as an invisible stream of flavour and scent started to flow up and clash against Sōma's in a discordant blast of weighted air. Peppers, thyme, basil, sage, rosemary. The scents of all of these and more floated on the air, roaring for dominance. It was like two great beasts meeting on a plain to challenge one another for the right to reside in this space.

"These flavours, I've never smelt anything like it." said the third judge who'd remained silent up to now. Fushima patted the man on the shoulder, smiling conspiratorially.

"This is what it's like when two cooking giants truly clash against one another, Sadao-dono. It's certainly a sight to see, isn't it?"

"Or smell, as it were." chimed in the first judge. The pun earned him exasperated looks from both of his colleagues.

"It looks like Hayama-kun's _roux_ is coming along nicely, at least from here." commented Alice, squinting down at the stage and thanking herself for having the foresight to reserve front row seating in advance.

"A roux is a classic sauce thickener, composed of flour and fat, usually butter." said Erina thoughtfully, eyeing the brown, viscous liquid in Hayama's pot. "Most roux are much lighter than Hayama-kun's, however. His appears to be rather thick and fragrant, most likely due to his skill with spices and the use of chicken oil over butter. I've never witnessed a _roux_ that smelt so strongly before."

"Indeed. And the aroma of Sōma's dish is nothing to scoff at either." commented Alice, inhaling the heavy air around them, her nostrils pleasantly tingling as they were caressed by the variety of smells in the air.

" **This air…this is the scent of battle; of two chefs using potent flavours to beat their opponent into submission.** " growled Ryo, his bandanna adorning his head. He couldn't help but grin at the thought of the advancement his opponents had made. He would show them too, when the time came, just how far he had progressed.

The chefs worked furiously, the scents in the air only growing more and more over time. Hayama slid the chopped vegetables into the pot containing his _roux_ , lowering the heat while increasing the pace of his stirring. Now, the scents of onions and celery joined the conglomeration, adding a fresh, young taste to the air. Sōma was tossing rice in a pan, sharp little pops echoing as it began to toast.

"Sōma-kun appears to be toasting his rice now! While most typical Japanese dishes call for plain white rice or sticky rice, toasted rice is an interesting alternative." noted the third judge, as a muted, nut like smell started to permeate and add to the duel of aromas.

Sōma opened up his pan, eyeing the colour of the fish fillets critically. He used a small ladle to scoop out a portion of his sauce, which he'd transferred to a bowl earlier, and poured it across the simmering fish. With a sharp snap, Sōma's fragrance beast grew, overtaking Hayama's with a mighty roar tinged in spiciness and heat.

"Oh my! The aroma of Sōma's fish dish is completely overpowering Hayama-kun's!" gasped Urara, her cheeks red as she sniffed at the new, spicier quality in the air.

Hayama's nose twitched as it took in the new information, his stride unbroken as he opened the oven to take a glimpse at his potatoes. Judging them done, he pulled the pan out and bisected each potato, after which he removed the soft insides with a spoon and added them into a bowl. A few quick movements saw the potato innards mashed and mixed together with a combination of butter and sour cream.

' _The fat content will even out the starchiness well.'_ thought Hayama as he began to season the mixture with the remainder of his chopped vegetables and a few more spice combinations from his unlabelled jars. A few dashes of milk rounded off the composition of the mashed potatoes.

He scooped out the mixture, adding it back into the potato shells, lightly topping each refilled spud with cheese before placing it back in the oven and turning down the heat.

"Twice baked potatoes. How delightful!" proclaimed Fushima, eyeing the stainless steel appliance hungrily, as if he would eat it just to get at what was inside.

"Fushima-dono, what exactly are twice baked potatoes?" asked Sadao, looking confusedly at the salivating judge.

"It's a decidedly Western dish where you bake the potatoes before removing the inside and mashing it with other food items before placing it back inside of the shell and back into the oven to cook through." explained Fushima. "It's a very versatile dish, as you can use anything from bacon and sour cream to other vegetables as the filling. I can't wait to see what someone as skilled as Hayama does with it!"

Despite such praise, Hayama still seemed to be trying to play catch-up, if the war in the air was anything to go by. Sōma's beast was prowling and snapping at Hayama's, keeping it docile and mild with its own new, sharper edges.

Hayama smirked as he started to hear murmurs of discontent in the crowd. He moved to a large pot that he'd left unattended, covered and simmering for much of the match and removed its lid. People waited, expecting a new surge of flavour to join the fight but, other than a mild, broth-like smell, nothing changed.

"There's something about that stock…" muttered Erina, watching Hayama bring the pot over to pour into his simmering _roux_ mixture. "It seems like ordinary stock, but I just can't shake this feeling…"

Whatever Erina was pondering was completely silenced by what happened when Hayama's stock hit the _roux._ With what was an almost audible shockwave, waves of flavour started to pour out of Hayama's pot, his beast growing until it matched and then surpassed Sōma's in sheer strength and presence as Hayama also added the chicken to the pot before stirring it all together. Above, the beast had become a dragon, beating back Sōma's creature with almost contemptible ease.

"Oh my!" shouted Urara as she swayed in place, practically blown off of her feet. "It seems Hayama was only toying with us earlier. He is truly the Sultan of Spice!"

"It unlocked it." murmured Erina, her eyes widening as she had an epiphany. "Hayama-kun's stock, while mild and borderline bland on its own, unlocked the latent flavours of his roux mixture, elevating it to new heights!"

Ryo laughed, loud and brash as his bandanna fluttered in the air currents of Hayama's power. Alice's face was one of concentration however, as she stared down at Sōma, who was almost being ignored in favour of marvelling at Hayama. From this distance, she could barely tell, and so she was sure that no one beside her companions would be able to either, but…

Sōma was smiling. It was tiny, practically invisible, but his lips were indeed upturned ever so slightly and his eyes were bright whereas before they were dull. It was a return of the old Sōma, but an aspect of him that was different from what Alice had encountered in his room a few days ago.

She saw the light of battle and challenge in his eyes, along with a supreme confidence that would've shaken her had she been more weak-willed. This was the part of Sōma that challenged an alumnus to a Shokugeki, the part of him that challenged an Elite Ten member's sales at the Moon Banquet Festival with a push cart stall. This wasn't Sōma's kindness. This was his passion and will to win, no matter the odds or opponent.

Despite the tension, she couldn't help smiling. It seemed Sōma wasn't quite done yet.

Sōma moved to the simmering fish, turning down the heat even further and adding in something from an unlabelled jar before covering the pan completely. With that manoeuvre, Sōma's beast admitted defeat, stymied by the seal over its birthplace. It faded into nothing as it growled submissively.

Hayama grinned as he, above all others, smelt the difference in the air. His dragon stood triumphant, roaring for all to inhale as it flexed its wings throughout the entire hall. He moved to cover the pot, leaving the seals open so air could circulate as he let it simmer further, his dragon diminishing as it prowled the arena, smaller but no less vicious.

"Well, that was certainly impressive everyone! It seems both chefs are reaching the ending stages of their dishes."

Urara was correct. Both of them were simmering their meat dishes and putting the finishing touches on their accompaniments. Sōma was sprinkling some herbs into his rice, accentuating its nutty smell with the gentle tones of chives and parsley. Hayama pulled his potatoes from the oven, the starchy scent invading the air alongside his dragon, plodding along beside it like a faithful companion.

Soon, both chefs had plated their dishes, Hayama's dragon roaring back to full life as he uncovered his pot and ladled it into three separate bowls. A single half of a potato accompanied each bowl on a separate saucer. He pushed his cart forward towards the judges' table.

"Hayama's finished first! While there's still a few minutes left on the clock, it seems Hayama-kun isn't interested in waiting."

"I hope you don't mind if I take the lead here, Yukihira." said Hayama mildly, not stopping as he wheeled past Sōma's station. The aforementioned chef shrugged silently, eyeing his pan. Hayama glanced back and took a deep sniff, letting the scents in the air dance across his legendary sense of smell.

"You sure you don't want to offer me one of your infamous deals, Yukihira? I'd say you have a real chance of losing here."

"I wouldn't want you to go out here, Hayama-san. It would be a little too regrettable." said Sōma, scooping his rice into plates to await judging. Hayama brushed off Sōma's arrogant jab with ease, wheeling his cart to the front of the judges' table and placing a bowl in front of each of them.

"This smell…" said Sadao, leaning over to inhale and suddenly finding himself swept away. He wore tarnished armour and had a rusty sword in his hand, which he held pointed at a majestic dragon with dark brown scales and a white mane. Its noble gaze eyed Sadao as if he was but a mere insect.

"It's not done yet." said Hayama, leaning over with a bottle and throwing a dash of something into Sadao's bowl.

Suddenly the dragon opened its mouth, breathing in and roaring out, a large torrent of flame reaching out to encompass Sadao's armoured form. The flames didn't burn, rather they caressed his nose and tongue in a fusion of spiciness and heady savouriness that left Sadao almost comatose from the smell alone.

The other judges had similar reactions as Hayama dashed their bowls with spice as well, three peasants armoured shoddily before a mighty, bronze dragon breathing flaming life into their bodies.

"H-Hayama-kun!" exclaimed Fushima. "Just what is in that bottle? It's like…like…"

"Like dragon's fire! But in the most magnificent way!" exclaimed Sadao excitedly.

"Oh, this?" asked Hayama casually, holding up the unlabelled bottle. "It's a personal blend of spices and seasonings developed by the Shiomi seminar. Without giving away too much, I'll just say that it combines the spiciness of crushed peppers with the strong flavouring of other herbs to give any dish built around it a strong taste, without completely overwhelming it."

Fushima picked up his spoon, almost hesitant to taste the dish before him. Was he worthy to face that beautiful dragon?

"Hayama-kun!" clamoured Urara, bounding forward to stand in front of the chef. "What do you call this dish?"

" _Shiomi Chicken Stew, with Twice Baked Potatoes._ " Hayama said, bowing slightly.

Sadao picked up his spoon, dipping it into the stew and bringing it to his mouth.

"Amazing!" he cried. "The strong Cajun undertones of the dish blend well with the strongly flavoured herbs in a way that shouldn't be possible. How did you get so many strong flavours to, for lack of a better term, get along inside of the same dish?"

"The secret is their freshness." said Hayama, holding out the bottle for them to see. "The Shiomi seminar specializes in cultivating plants that are out of season. Practically every single spice and herb I used here today was specially prepared by myself from the raw form of the plant itself as early as yesterday."

"I see…" said Sadao in between bites. "Such a strong, spicy undertone wouldn't be achievable with anything but the freshest of cayenne peppers. Wonderful work Hayama-kun!"

"And the starchiness of the potato adds a neutrality to the dish that allows you to cleanse your palate and take breaks from the depths of the stew's flavour. Meaning everyone from spice connoisseurs to children could enjoy this dish equally. Truly marvellous!" exclaimed the third judge, looking as if he was going to cry tears of joy from the food alone.

In but a short time, there were three empty bowls and saucers left in front of the judges, who all seemed satisfied. You could almost see the bronze dragon coiled around their sated forms, slumbering as they digested their meal.

"It seems Hayama's dish was a resounding success with the judges!" shouted Urara, the applause following her announcement almost deafening. As the match wore on, it seemed more and more people had leant towards supporting Hayama, as they saw the potential for Central's first true upset in him.

"And now, we'll have Sōma-kun's dish!"

Sōma wheeled his cart forward, placing three plates of warm, slightly browned rice in front of the judges. On his cart sat his pan of fish, still tightly covered. However, unusually, Sōma had brought a portable burner that was still lit under the pan, keeping it simmering even as he brought it forward before the judges.

"Interesting. Yukihira-kun, may I ask why you have a burner under your pan even now?" asked the third judge curiously.

"With this sort of dish, it's essential that it remain hot until the very last possible moment. I trust that you'll see what I mean on your very first bite, Moto-san."

"If you don't mind me asking, Sōma-kun, what is your dish?" questioned Urara, holding the mic up to his mouth. Sōma glanced at Hayama, matching his confident stare with complete apathy.

" _Buffalo Salmon._ " he said simply.

"Buffalo…Salmon?" asked Urara confusedly. "As in…buffalo sauce?"

"That's correct." said Sōma, holding up a black labelled bottle filled with bright red liquid. The entire hall went silent as everyone tried to process what he said. Then, the laughter started. It was hard to say who broke first, but soon the entire crowd was laughing.

"Yukihira's going to try and take on Hayama with fish in wing sauce?" jeered one boy, elbowing his friend who couldn't even respond as he was too busy holding his sides in laughter.

The noise level rose until it seemed the entire world was looking down on Sōma, laughing into his face. The only ones that refrained were those smart enough to realize that this was Yukihira Sōma, tenth seat of the Elite Ten and Central's premier enforcer that they were talking about. Things were never that simple.

"Buffalo sauce…to make it the centrepiece of a dish judged for its flavour seems like an inexcusable error. It's plebeian beyond words. The flavour is simple and not nearly complex enough for a shokugeki of this magnitude." said Erina, narrowing her eyes.

"Which means there's something more to this." finished Alice, looking down curiously as she resisted the urge to strike out at the boy behind her who seemed to have a particularly horse like bray of a laugh.

Hayama wasn't laughing along with the rest of the crowd, but he was certainly smirking as he looked at the bottle in Sōma's hand. How dare he think that some brand name hot sauce would compare…

Hayama blinked, looking closer at the bottle of hot sauce. While it was indeed labelled, there was nothing written on the label. No picture, no words. In fact, now that Hayama looked, the bottle looked familiar. Very familiar. But that didn't make sense. Why would he…?

Hayama's eyes widened as he felt his heart begin to race. He looked up at Sōma, who was ignoring the gales of laughter surrounding them and staring directly into his eyes. His flat, golden gaze had been replaced by one Hayama recognized, one of challenge and fiery passion that was all Yukihira. The barest quirk at the corner of Sōma's mouth was all the warning that Hayama got before Sōma reached over and snatched the lid off of his pan.

Almost instantly, every single chuckle was silenced as veritable torrents of flavour burst from the pan, screaming out and encompassing the air as if angry that they had been kept sealed for so long. Hayama's dragon had been a magnificent beast, noble and powerful, but this…this was practically a force of nature. Even a dragon couldn't fight nature, and Hayama's was crushed under the tsunami that was Sōma's beast, brought back to life stronger and angrier than ever before. But Sōma's beast had changed. It was a simple beast no longer.

Instead it was a dragon, one of such magnificence and strength that it made Hayama's look like a kitten in comparison. It roared, flavour spreading throughout the arena and striking fear into each and every spectator's heart as they witnessed its anger through their olfactory senses.

The dragons were…similar. Eerily similar. But Sōma's was larger, stronger, hotter. In every category through which one could gauge a dragon's strength, Sōma's won out.

"This flavour profile…" said Hayama, his nose twitching as it fed him information. But it must be a lie. There was no way what he was smelling was accurate, it couldn't be.

"Do you remember our classmate, Mimasaka Subaru?" asked Sōma nonchalantly, serving the fish cutlets onto the toasted rice, the nutty aroma only being brought forth even more as it accented the scent of the fish.

' _Mimasaka…Subaru. He was a contestant in the Autumn Elections, the Perfect Tracer…'_

Hayama felt a fear he'd thought he'd disposed of start to crop back up in his heart and Sōma glanced over, as if he could hear Hayama's accelerated heartbeat.

"It seems Mimasaka-san is just as skilled as always in ferreting information out about his targets. And it took little effort to procure some of Shiomi-san's magnificent work for myself." said Sōma, drizzling the sauce over the judges' plates with one hand while tossing the bottle to Hayama with his other one.

Hayama caught it instinctively, looking down at the glassware, turning it over in his hands as he stroked over the black label. He noted the three marks at its top and that prompted him to grip the bottle tightly, his hands straining the glass. He knew this bottle of hot sauce. He'd **made** it.

"You…you stole from us?" whispered Hayama, his rage practically a tangible thing as he thought about Sōma using her work…their work against him. It was sickening.

"I stole nothing." said Sōma, watching as the judges ate his dish, taking bites of it and finding themselves filled with a blameless rage that suffused them, causing them to grit their teeth and shove Sōma's dish away from them, almost sending the plates careening off of the edge of the table.

"Then how? How did you get this bottle?"

Sōma looked over at Hayama, before extending his arm and pointing to the side, at his work station.

"It wasn't just one bottle, Hayama-san."

Hayama looked over, at the many unlabelled containers at Sōma's station. With a start, he realized that he recognized each and every one of them as containers that he, Jun or both had worked on together, marked in their own special shorthand to differentiate them.

For each jar and bottle Hayama recognized, his rage only grew, threatening to break the persistent calm that he was known for. The self-control he'd painstakingly developed from a young age to hide his feelings from those who would use it against him on the rough streets of his hometown.

"The Shiomi seminar, for all its independence, is still an organization under Tōtsuki. I simply asked Mimasaka-san to put in a request on my behalf after he'd traced you and given me his best guesses on what flavour profile you would use."

Hayama thought back, struggling to keep himself calm and his thoughts clear. It wasn't rare for their seminar to take requests for spices from both students and alumni. It was no exaggeration to say that the Shiomi seminar's spice quality was the finest in the region, if not all of Japan. And, with dread, Hayama realized that he did remember seeing Mimasaka's name on the request sheet a few weeks back. He'd simply filed it as always and let the delivery crew handle the rest, thinking nothing of it.

A glaring mistake, clearly.

"I kept my seasoning very distinct, and only fused them together as you did near the very end, before I sealed my pan completely. That gave the salmon time to become thoroughly infused with the full flavours of the seasonings I'd used, with not a single drop of it escaping and being wasted until it was time to unveil it."

Sōma looked over at the judges appraisingly, glancing over their mostly filled plates. His dragon loomed over his shoulders, still holding the arena in its mighty grip, larger and fiercer than Hayama's had any hope of being.

"So, dear judges, what's the result?"

Moto looked up at Sōma angrily, struggling to restrain himself. He didn't even understand WHY he was so angry. He simply was, and there was nothing to take it out on. He hadn't understood it when his colleagues had warned him against judging one of the boy's shokugekis, but now he did. He understood it all too well. With trembling fingers, he pressed a button on his controller.

Sadao and Fushima followed suit, their expressions more controlled but no less angry than their compatriot.

 _Yukihira Sōma – 3_

 _Hayama Akira – 0_

Hayama looked at the scoreboard in disbelief before he looked around, searching for a particular face before finding it. Jun looked back at him, a smile on her face but tears in her eyes.

' _It's okay.'_ she mouthed, even as she began to cry silently, tear tracks making their way down her face.

"Well, Hayama-kun. I believe that, as they say, is that." said Sōma, looking over at the boy who looked like he'd just lost it all without a single ounce of compassion.

"And there you have it folks! While it was a closely fought battle, Yukihira Sōma is once again victorious! The Shiomi seminar will be immediately disbanded, with its associated resources going to Sōma-kun! That is our final shokugeki for the day, and I hope you all have a good one!" shouted Urara cheerfully to scattered applause.

The majority of the crowd was just looking at Hayama as they watched him fall to his knees, still staring into the crowd at the face of the woman he loved. A face he'd hoped to never see besmirched with tears.

"It would appear Hayama-kun lost." noted Alice somewhat sadly, sighing. While she counted herself as one of Sōma's allies, she felt more than uncomfortable as she looked at Hayama's fallen form. She didn't know him all that well, but she knew it must be devastating to lose both his residence and life's work in one fell swoop.

"Yes, I'm rather surprised Yukihira-kun would resort to such a tactic. It's not exactly his style to go with such a blatantly cheap trick." said Erina as she looked down at the product of her father's machinations with a heavy heart. She would use this as a reminder; as motivation for her training with Sai-Yukihira-sama. If he wasn't going to rescue Sōma from whatever idiotic plan he had set up, then she would.

"Cheap or not, Sōma got the win. Knowing what you're up against can be half the battle, sometimes. Know thine enemy and all that." said Alice flippantly, standing up and straightening out her skirt.

Ryo said nothing, his bandanna tucked away as he stared down at Hayama. The stronger dish had won today, that was all. Nothing more and nothing less.

* * *

Hayama walked listlessly through the halls of the seminar, his mind going back over the duel again and again. He was so sure that he'd won, that his dish was superior. But Sōma had completely shattered his expectations, and now he'd lost everything.

No, he had lost nothing. It was SHE who had lost everything.

He looked around at the familiar walls, at the place that had been his home for years.

"Akira-kun! Akira-kun!"

Hayama didn't turn around, but he did stop walking as he heard the soft pitter-patter of Jun's footsteps behind him.

"You did great, Akira-kun! Even though we made so many of those stew dishes for practice, I think the one you cooked today was better than all of them!"

Hayama's shoulders started to shake, the movement catching her eye.

"How can you say that Jun? After…after I lost? How can you stand there and still say that my dish was amazing?"

"Because it was, Akira-kun." said Jun, smiling even though he couldn't see it. "I told you already, right? Even if you lost, we'd still be together, so you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not worried about me, Jun. I'm not the one who just lost everything they've worked so hard to build over the years. You are."

"We are." corrected Jun gently, placing her hand on Hayama's shoulder, which must've looked rather ridiculous as the boy was several inches taller than she was.

"Don't exclude yourself from this, Akira-kun. We both worked to make the Shiomi seminar what it is today. We share in its loss, that's how being a team works."

"But I'm…I'm…" Hayama cut himself off, not wanting to say it out loud.

"I know, Akira. I know." said Jun, reaching out for his hand and squeezing it.

They both knew that, while Hayama had endless potential with his future, Jun's was…limited. It wasn't so much a matter of age as it was skillset and passion. Jun had found her calling working for Tōtsuki. It was one of the few institutions with the money and resources needed to fund her exhaustive spice research. Few other places would be so willing to invest what Tōtsuki had invested into her, it was one of the perks of being the top culinary institute in the entire world.

Jun was a Tōtsuki graduate, meaning she would be able to practically pick and choose her employment at a variety of restaurants worldwide if she didn't want to continue on as a professor under the Azami administration but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to continue her work with spices, she'd already done so much and there was still so much left to do!

But with Sōma's victory, Tōtsuki now owned each and every last piece of her research. Without its explicit permission, she couldn't do anything.

Hayama turned to face Jun, his face stricken. It was a sight few ever saw, that of a distressed Hayama Akira.

"I'm sorry, Jun. I should've won against Yukihira. For you, for us." he said, holding her shoulders. His voice wavered and bobbed with restrained sobs and his breath was coming in pants. Jun smiled up at him and leaned towards him, embracing him around his waist.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Akira-kun. You never have anything to apologize to me for."

Hayama slowly returned her embrace, clutching the smaller woman to him as he struggled to regain control of his breathing. He hadn't cried since Jun had adopted him, all those years ago, and he refused to now. This wasn't about him, this was about Jun. He refused to burden her with his tears.

Lost in their own world as they were, the pair didn't realize they had a spectator. That they'd had a spectator for a while now, since Jun had first met up with Hayama in the hallway.

Sōma looked on, his form hidden behind a large bookcase. He hadn't originally intended to eavesdrop, but he'd found himself stuck in place, frozen by the raw outpouring of emotion he was witnessing. As he saw the tears in Hayama's eyes and the unshaking support of his guardian, Sōma had become unsure of himself.

He'd originally planned to come here to sway Hayama to his side forcefully, perhaps dangling Jun's ongoing tenure as a professor as a sort of carrot, with her termination being the stick. But he…something in him wouldn't let that plan commence. Why did he suddenly find that plan distasteful? Why did he…feel something warm, where his heart usually sat?

And why were things getting so blurry? Sōma blinked, his eyes clearing as he felt wetness on his cheeks. Tears. Sōma looked down at his chain in surprise, inspecting it for damage. It wasn't coming loose at all, it held firm, meaning that this emotion was all…him. This side of Sōma wasn't used to this. This vulnerability, this…positivity. He was strength, anger, willpower and cunning. There was no room for softheartedness in this half of him.

He flicked the clasps on the chain, pulling it free with a yank. He shuddered, retreating within himself as his other side came to bear. The side of Sōma meant for…whatever this was.

Sōma wiped the tears from his eyes, smiling to himself. He walked forward, rubbing at his eyes, ensuring they were free of any moisture before clearing his throat pointedly.

Hayama and Jun both jumped, clutching each other even tighter for a second before realizing just what they were doing and breaking apart. They looked at each other before looking away in embarrassment, Jun resembling a tomato more than anything else as Hayama coughed, trying to regain his composure.

Finally noticing who'd interrupted them, Hayama froze, his eyes lowering as he spoke.

"What the hell do you want, Yukihira? Have you come to serve us our eviction notice already?"

Sōma laughed softly, startling the both of them. Sōma didn't laugh. At least, not in recent memory. The expression took Hayama back briefly, to days he'd spent with both of his runner ups in this very building, trading jibes and dishes alike. It was familiar, which only served to make Hayama more wary.

"Relax, Hayama. I've just come to talk this time is all, I promise."

"Then say what you have to say. I'm not interested in wasting anymore of my time on you today."

Sōma pouted, his expression almost comical.

"So mean, Hayama. Well, I suppose I can't really blame you. So I'll just hop right into it."

Sōma looked around at the peeling wallpaper and vague sense of disrepair that evoked more than one fond memory of the Polar Star Dormitory.

"Hayama, do you know exactly what the terms for your loss to me today are?"

"I'm more than aware." bit out Hayama, narrowing his eyes further as he glared at Sōma. "Have you simply come here to gloat?"

"I assure you, I haven't. For me though, can you state them again?"

Hayama maintained his glare for a few seconds, before sighing as he beheld the expression on Sōma's face. It seemed he was serious. Hayama thought back to the terms of the shokugeki ruling he'd reviewed only just this morning.

"If I were to lose, then the Shiomi seminar is given over to Tōtsuki, along with its resources. Effective no less than one week after the official result of the match is declared. There, are we done now?"

Sōma shook his head, smiling in a cheeky manner that would've been funny if the situation wasn't so serious.

"That's not quite correct, Hayama. If you lost, then the Shiomi seminar is surrendered to, not Tōtsuki, but to one Yukihira Sōma."

"Yea, but you work for Central, it isn't like there's much of a difference." said Hayama before he thought about exactly what he'd just said and his eyes widened. Sōma grinned as he saw Hayama come to the right conclusion.

"Exactly. I have full authority over the seminar as a student of Tōtsuki and a member of the Elite Ten Council. Meaning its fate is in my hands. But, to be quite honest, I don't have much interest in spices and all that, at least not the finicky details that Shiomi-chan seems so adept with."

Sōma jerked his thumb at the aforementioned professor, who glowered at him for his affectionate address. Hayama looked at Sōma, his eyes locked on Yukihira's, which were filled with a warmth and playfulness that was all too lacking in them these days.

Hayama's expression was one of both desperation and distrust as his mind started to go, thoughts bouncing around in his head at a frantic rate. He bowed his head as he clenched his fists, feeling his hands tremble.

"So…if I serve you, then you'll let Jun continue doing what she loves?"

"Hayama-kun…" said Jun, shocked. Hayama's pride was one of the most valuable things he had. When he had nothing, it was the only thing he held onto. No matter the situation and no matter cost. But here he was, surrendering it for her.

"Nah, that won't work." said Sōma casually, causing Hayama to look up at him in surprise before Sōma laughed, inciting even more confusion in the white haired boy.

"That's not gonna work because I'm not looking for servants, Hayama. I'm looking for allies."

At such a vaguely worded statement, Hayama's expression became guarded once again.

"What would I have to do?" he asked carefully. Sōma looked at him thoughtfully, as if wondering whether he should answer, before shrugging to himself.

"For now? One thing. One simple thing."

"And what's this one simple thing?" asked Hayama, cautious of the mischievous smirk on Sōma's face.

"Refine your cooking."

Hayama looked at Sōma, who didn't say anything after that, instead just matching his blank stare with a grin.

"My apologies, Yukihira, but…this is a cooking school. Isn't that the whole point?"

Sōma looked at Hayama, his smile dropping as his expression grew serious.

"You're right. It is. But I'm not asking you to do well in classes, or invent one new dish. I'm asking you to take your cooking to new heights, to use whatever means necessary to take a step up. And another one. And another one. Until you're alone, separated from the rest of our generation by a gulf of skill that'll be matched by but a few others."

Some stepped forward, placing his hand on Hayama's shoulder and squeezing it with authority.

"I want you to be among the best. I need you to be one of the elites, Hayama. That is all I'm going to ask of you right now. I want today to be the last time I ever hear of Hayama Akira losing a shokugeki, even if he's facing the Demon King of Food himself."

Hayama's heart raced as Sōma's words stoked a burning passion that was always there. He'd already planned to take the top seat of Tōtsuki anyway, so Sōma wasn't saying anything new. But the meaning he was giving it allowed Hayama to feel as if his goal was tangible. His very real peril had made reality all too clear to him. It wasn't some abstract thing he'd find sometime down the road. It was something he could reach towards, right here and right now with his own two hands. He'd continue reaching until he'd passed everyone else by, including the man before him.

Sōma smiled, seeing the fire in his own eyes reflected in Hayama's.

"For what it's worth, I apologize for the scare, Hayama. Things aren't quite as black and white as they used to be, and that can tie my hands up quite a bit." said Sōma, jingling the chain he held in his hands.

The tongue-in-cheek reference flew completely over Hayama's head, absorbed as he was in pondering the first part of Sōma's statement.

"Are you going to explain just why they aren't that way anymore?" asked Hayama mildly, almost certain of the response he would get.

Sure enough, Sōma shook his head, releasing Hayama's shoulder as he began to walk off.

"Maybe sometime in the future, but not right now. Continue doing what you do Hayama, I expect great things. Later Shiomi-chan!"

"D-Don't call me chan!" shouted Jun angrily, waving her fist.

"Jun, that may have been more effective if you'd said it before the door shut behind him." pointed out Hayama drily. Jun turned to pout at him, running at him and beating her fists on Hayama's chest playfully.

"You're so mean, Hayama-kun." Jun said in mock anger, as her swings started to lose speed until, eventually, she was just embracing Hayama, her face buried in his chest. He couldn't see her face but he could feel her shake silently and the wetness seep through his shirt.

"Why are you crying, Jun?" Hayama asked gently, placing one hand on her head, stroking her hair.

"I…I was lying, Akira-kun." she admitted tearfully. "I was so scared…I didn't know what I was going to do. Half of my life was just gone, and you…I thought I'd lose you too."

Hayama looked down at her in surprise.

"Why would you ever think that?"

"Because…I mean, what use would you have for me if I was just some stuffy lecturer? You'd grow tired of me eventually, and move on to greater things without me too…"

"Jun. If there's one thing you ever know to be true in this world, it's that I will never leave you. Never."

"You're just saying that." she said self-deprecatingly, her words muffled by Hayama's chest.

Hayama pulled Jun away from his chest, holding her by her shoulders as he stared into her face. She tried to turn away from him, reaching up to remove her glasses as she wiped at her eyes. Crying had left her eyes bloodshot and her face blotchy. Hayama didn't say a word as he continued to stare down at her.

"Akira-kun, please. What are you looking at?" she asked, blinking up at him.

"You." he said, the one word saying more than a thousand ever could. Jun tried to wave him off, her cheeks now red for an entirely different reason. She laughed embarrassedly.

"Why? I must look hideous right now."

"No. You're beautiful."

Hayama leaned down, his forehead resting gently on Jun's. Her blush grew as she started to fidget.

"A-Akira-kun. Please…stop."

Despite her words, Jun made no move to escape his hold, instead closing her eyes as she breathed in, the heady scent of spice and cinnamon that was Hayama washing over her. She opened her eyes, and found Hayama's looking down at her, and their gazes locked like magnets. Jun raised one hand to his face hesitantly, before reaching up and brushing an errant bang out of his face.

"Jun."

"Akira."

Some miniscule part of Jun screamed at her, told her that this was inappropriate and she should walk away now, while she still had a chance to redeem herself. That part of her was summarily silenced by the rest of her that made the decision to lean in, her lips barely brushing over Hayama's as she closed her eyes.

The kiss wasn't long or deep. It was soft and tender, an expression of what they'd found in each other over years of a growing relationship that spanned guardian and ward, teacher and student and now man and woman. As the kiss broke, they rested their foreheads together, closing their eyes.

"Jun…I…"

"I know, Akira. Me too."

* * *

Sōma whistled as he walked down the path from the seminar, his heart light. It was a refreshing feeling, doing a good deed for someone. That went double for someone he called a friend. He understood the need for what he did, what he was still doing really, but that doesn't mean he enjoyed it.

Which made it even nicer when he could do something so unambiguously good. No shades of grey, or justification. Just simple kindness. This night was starting off well.

"Yukihira-kun?"

Sōma turned, smiling widely.

"Hey, Nakiri. What's up?"

Sōma continued walking a step or two, before convulsing, his stride broken as he looked into the face of Nakiri Erina. His heart started thumping wildly in his chest as he stared, his mouth moving with no sound as he stared into her purple eyes.

"Yukihira-kun. I…I didn't expect to see you here." she said, recovering from her surprise gracefully. She smiled softly at him, which only made Sōma step back, his eyes widening as his mouth continued moving, not a single word passing his lips.

She couldn't be here. She shouldn't be here. Why was she here? What were the odds?

Sōma stared at her face, seeing her features change, her cheeks softening as her hair shortened and her eyes became rounder, younger.

"Yukihira-kun, are you alright?"

 _Tou-san! Please, it's so dark!_

Sōma stepped back, stumbling over as he fell onto his butt.

"Yukihira!"

Erina reached out, her hands small and childlike. Sōma's pupils shrank as his heart started to race, starting to hyperventilate.

"Yukihira…Sōma-kun, are you crying?"

Sōma felt like someone was sitting on his chest, like there was a vice around his abdomen as he tried to breathe. Tears dripped freely down his face, something that surprised Erina. She walked over to him, unsure of how to proceed.

She leaned down as if to touch his shoulder and Sōma twitched, scrabbling backwards.

"No. Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." he said desperately, his eyes begging her for forgiveness. Erina was even more confused at Sōma's abrupt reaction, stepping back cautiously and holding up her hands.

"I couldn't do anything, you were so…and I just…I tried but it didn't work and…and…"

Sōma's broken sentence trailed off into incoherency as he stopped speaking, trying to catch his breath.

"Yukihira, you don't seem to be doing well. I'll call someone. Just give me a second."

 _Go ahead, Erina. Call someone, anyone. No one can help you, no one but me, your beloved father._

Erina pulled out her phone, eyeing Sōma carefully as she tapped out a number.

"Everything's going to be fine, Yukihira. Don't worry."

 _Everything's going to be fine, Erina. I love you._

"LIAR!" shouted Sōma, springing to his feet and dashing away, ignoring the rapidly fading calls behind him. He ran and ran, heart racing as he started to pant, his ability to breathe coming back with every step he took away from the Nakiri heiress.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry…" he said to himself, his legs working beneath him to get him anywhere. Anywhere that wasn't near that girl. It took several long minutes for Sōma to grow tired, slowing down as he panted for an entirely different reason. He put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver chain.

With shaky, trembling hands, Sōma wound the chain around his left wrist, securing the ends with a _clink_. He continued panting but the trembling ceased and it wasn't long before Sōma stood straight, wiping at the sweat on his forehead. He looked around, wondering just where one of his episodes had landed him this time before noticing that he'd ended up right outside the Nakiri mansion gate.

Sōma would've laughed to himself if he'd had the energy. He walked through the gate, hearing it creak behind him as he opened it. Heading towards the front door, he felt his phone vibrate and he pulled it out, seeing that it was a message from Rindō.

 _Evening, Sōma-kun. Just wanted to let you know things with Nikumi-chan are going great. She should be ready for evaluation after the break._

Sōma sent off an affirmative reply, walking through the front door to be greeted by a smiling Nakiri Alice.

"Good evening, Sōma-kun! I simply must…Sōma-kun!"

Alice noticed the state Sōma was in, the stained, sweaty clothing and the tear streaked face. She stepped forward, looking him over as she circled him worriedly.

"What happened to you Sōma-kun? Were you in an accident? Did you get in a fight, did Hayama do this?"

Sōma shook his head tiredly, trying to move past the girl towards his room, which only succeeded in having her follow behind him concernedly.

"Nakiri-ojou, please. I'm fine, I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

"Tired my foot! You look like you've been through the ringer, what happened?" she asked, following behind him as he entered his room. He sat tiredly on the bed, his straight laced posture melting away as he gave into his exhaustion, his shoulders slumping.

"So are you going to tell me?" she asked imperiously, tapping her foot as she stood over him. Sōma resisted the uncharacteristic urge to snap at her, his restraint all but gone from the stress of the evening.

"No." he said, hoping the simple, blunt reply would dissuade the white haired girl from inquiring further. He should've known better.

Alice continued to pester him, asking question after question, glibly proceeding as if unaware that she was being incessantly annoying. Finally, after a particular inane question about whether he'd gone for a late night swim, Sōma couldn't take it anymore.

"Stop." he said, his rage cresting as it broiled beneath his skin, eager to lash out.

Alice ignored him, continuing to prattle. Sōma grit his teeth, putting his head between his knees and holding his temples as he felt his anger growing, seemingly without end.

Sōma balled his fists, his emotions hitting a peak as he screamed a wordless shout of rage, seeing nothing as he screamed and screamed and screamed, each and every one of the dark emotions he usually kept under wraps blaring out in full force to wash over the room. He continued to scream, clutching at his hair as he felt his voice start to crack. For the first time in who knows how long, Soma lost control, completely and utterly. His hatred, his pain, all of it and more was contained in the scream that lacked any sort of language or coherency.

After several seconds, he felt the tide ebbing and his screaming faded, his breath coming in pants for the third time that night as he held his head in his hands, his chest feeling lighter than it had in months. He could tell Alice was still in the room but he refused to look up at her. He knew what he'd see if he did. Instead, he just waited for her to leave.

After about a minute, he heard her shoes shuffle across the floor and, without warning, he felt a hand on his head.

"There. Isn't that better, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma looked up at her, more than surprised to see Alice looking down at him with a smile. He didn't see an ounce of fear or disdain, instead only kindness with a side of frivolity. An expression distinctly Alice.

Sōma started to feel…something. Something that made him distinctly uncomfortable. But…but it was discomfort he found he didn't mind putting up with, for some reason. Sōma leaned forward, his exhaustion hitting him in a sudden wave of dizziness, and his head came to rest on Alice's sweater covered stomach. Despite the compromising position, Sōma found himself loathe to move as he felt the discomfort in his chest grow stronger but…better. A paradox.

This wasn't for him. This was for the other Sōma, the one he kept chained because he was too weak to do what they needed. **He** was the one with the weakness, the feelings, the empathy and kindness, while he was supposed to be cold and distant, clear headed but passionate and filled with anger and hatred. He wasn't supposed to feel…whatever this was. This was too nice, too soft, too…weak.

Alice looked down at the head of red hair leaning against her sweater, her cheeks blushing a bright red. The hand in Sōma's hair began to move, running through it as she marvelled at how deceptively soft the spikes were. It was soon joined by the other one as Alice's fingers ran through Sōma's unkempt mane.

Almost without thinking, Alice began to croon. A soft, wordless melody that her mother would sing for her as a child. She sang as she stroked her hands through Sōma's hair, feeling the boy's breath against her stomach. If he wasn't so vulnerable and tired, Alice would've balked at the impropriety of such a thing, but instead she just continued stroking. And singing.

Sōma's eyes closed languidly, his ears filled with the soft tones coming from above his head. In his mind, he saw a blurry image, a half forgotten memory of a woman's face, leaning over him, her hand in his hair as she sang. The song was completely different from the one Alice sang, but its effect was similar, filling him with a sense of calm and peace.

" _Kaa-chan_ …" he murmured sleepily, his breathing evening out.

Alice blinked down at him. She pouted.

"I'm certainly NOT your mother, Sōma-kun." she admonished quietly, gently pushing his shoulders back as she guided his half-awake form to lie down.

"Sweet dreams, Sōma-chii." she said fondly and teasingly, giving his hair one last affectionate ruffle before beginning to exit the room quietly.

Sōma felt more than saw the lights turn off and he turned over, his thoughts fading as he slowly fell asleep, his chest both light and heavy with…whatever this was. It would be the best sleep he'd had in years.

* * *

 **Well, here we go, chapter 8! I believe this is the longest chapter of the story to date, and also one of the more important ones. I hope you all enjoyed it, and please feel free to leave some feedback, be it hurtful or helpful. It's my not-so-secret goal to have this be the top reviewed story of the SnS fandom, help me achieve it guys! Only like 200 more to go!**


	9. Chapter 9

Erina held the phone to her ear, listening to it ring. She looked over her shoulder in the direction that Sōma had run off to, but didn't see anything. Not even the slightest flash of red hair or dark clothing. Should she have tried to follow him? Why did he react like that though? Would she have just made things worse by trying to catch up to him?

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Rindō-senpai. I just ran into Yukihira-kun a few minutes ago, but he reacted…oddly. You're the only person I know who's been in contact with him recently, do you have any idea why he would do something like that?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to be a little more specific, Erina-chan. Odd can be a very relative term when it's Yukihira Sōma we're talking about."

Erina gave the girl a brief recap of Sōma's actions and Rindō hummed thoughtfully.

"I see. You're right, that is a bit odd. Even for him. Tell me, Erina-chan, was he wearing his chain?"

"His…chain?" asked Erina, thinking back. "You mean that silver chain he wears on his wrist? I'm not sure, I don't think so."

"Ah…" said Rindō. Erina waited for the girl to say more, adjusting the basket she held in her hands, but only got silence in response.

"Rindō-senpai?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry Erina-chan. I was just lost in thought for a moment. I'll take things from here. Thanks for the heads up, alright?"

"Alright…" said Erina carefully. She wasn't sure how much she trusted the girl, considering that she was flighty and mischievous at the best of times. But she had little choice, considering the only other person she knew that Sōma associated with these days was her father.

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later alright Erina-chan?"

"Wait, Rindō-senpai!"

"Yes?"

Erina bit her lip, wondering how exactly to ask what she wanted to ask. It wasn't exactly an easy topic of discussion, least of all for her.

"Listen. About what we were discussing the other night, I just wanted to-"

"Oh, that?" Rindō laughed, cutting the girl off. "Sorry, Erina-chan. It'd be best if you just forgot all about that. Seems there was a bit of a mix up on my part."

"Mix up?" parroted Erina, confused.

"Yes, I was sent to relay a message to someone, and I thought that person was you. But I was mistaken. _Gomen_."

Erina was only more confused now.

"What exactly do you mean senpai?"

"Can't tell you, Erina-chan. Loose lips sink ships. And I'm on a pretty important boat, so to speak."

Erina could practically hear the grin on Rindō's face through the phone and she resisted the urge to snap at the girl in irritation. Even when Erina had been on the Elite Ten and a prominent member of the Nakiri household, she'd held little sway over the purple haired girl, and was reluctant to give her the pleasure of knowing that she was getting under her skin.

"Fine. Then how about what you said about my father's training? And Sōma-kun? What did you mean?"

Rindō didn't respond immediately and, as the seconds stretched, the silence only seemed to grow heavier as Erina's anticipation built. When Rindō spoke, the amusement was plain for Erina to see, or hear, as it were.

"I think you know exactly what I meant, Erina-chan."

Erina gripped her phone reflexively, feeling her teeth grind against each other in her mouth. The tone with which Rindō spoke set her on edge. It wasn't as if she was under the mistaken impression that she was close with the second seat, but she'd also thought they were comrades, at the very least. And to hear the sheer mirth with which the girl spoke was more than disheartening.

"Can you tell me why then? Do you know why Sōma-kun would put himself through that?"

"As a matter of fact, I DO know why. And I certainly COULD tell you. But I most DEFINITELY won't."

Rindō ended her sentence with a particularly obnoxious cackle and Erina saw red.

"Rindō-senpai! Why must you-"

Erina heard an audible click and a droning beep. Rindō had hung up on her. Erina pocketed her phone, continuing to walk down the path and doing her best to not stomp TOO hard on the cobblestone as she fumed silently. She was tired of being kept in the dark where Yukihira Sōma was concerned. Especially when, for once, all she was trying to do was help!

It was frustrating. She wasn't used to caring about other people like this. She took to the good parts of having actual friends rather well. The late night slumber parties, the weekend cooking sessions, the laughter filled conversations. The minor annoyance of being nagged for tastings. If she was being completely honest, she'd enjoyed all of those things.

But she'd had no idea that part of becoming good friends with people was being so stressed out and worried when things weren't going well. Things had been easy when it had just been her and Hisako, for the most part. Her aide was quiet and helpful, rarely fussed and was almost never in any sort of trouble or turmoil. She'd done everything that was asked of her without complaint. It had been easy.

But now? Now she had a whole new host of people to fret over, which included a boy that seemed determined to make her feel guilty with every single action he took under her father and a girl that, try as she might, wasn't able to completely hide that she blamed Erina for it. In some fashion, anyway. Yet claimed everything was fine whenever Erina tried to discuss the issue with her.

Ugh. Having real friends was exhausting.

She opened the door to the run down building, sighing. Oh well, she would deal with it as she always did, with dignity and grace. Even if she didn't understand what was going on half of the time. She walked down the hall, looking at the signs above the doors before stopping at the one that said 'Shiomi Seminar'. She saw light coming from under the doorway, which she took to mean that Hayama was probably still here.

Opening the door, Erina went to call out a greeting but found the words stuck in her throat as she was struck by a sight that she hadn't expected in the least. Hayama was holding a girl in his arms and they were…were…kissing!

Erina didn't know how to react, and so she just stood, frozen. She wondered if it would be possible to step back and just close the door before she was noticed. Deciding to do just that, Erina stepped back, but her foot landed on something, which rolled almost immediately, sending her to the floor with a shriek. A very audible, high pitched shriek.

Erina found herself looking into two very red, very surprised faces as she sat sprawled in what must have been a very undignified position. Silence reigned as the pestle responsible for her fall rolled across the room. She struggled to come up with something, anything to say, but couldn't find the words. It seemed Hayama and the girl were in a similar position.

Actually, now that she got a better look at her face, Erina had the nagging feeling that she knew the girl from somewhere and, as her brain finally decided to resume functioning, her mouth dropped open.

"Shiomi-sensei?!"

At her words, the now identified Shiomi Jun shrank, seeming to grow even smaller than she already was.

"G-G-Greetings, Nakiri-chan. Would you like some tea? Yes, yes. Tea would be great right now, I'll get some."

Without even waiting for a response, Jun all but ran outside of the room, slamming the door behind her, leaving Erina and Hayama alone. Hayama seemed to be doing his best to avoid even looking in her direction.

"Are you alright, Nakiri-san?"

Erina didn't respond, still seeming stunned at what exactly she'd walked into. She didn't even seem to notice she was still on the floor.

"Nakiri-san?"

"Oh, yes. I'm fine, Hayama-kun."

Erina moved to stand to her feet, brushing at her skirt. She picked up the basket that she'd dropped when she fell, checking to make sure that none of its contents had fallen out. Seeing that everything was accounted for, Erina found herself at a loss.

She'd initially come over here to extend an invitation to Hayama to join the Polar Star Dormitory. It had been Isshiki's idea, as he knew that the boy resided in one of the residences allocated under the Shiomi seminar, something he wouldn't be entitled to anymore once the disbandment of the seminar was made official. Erina had volunteered to go, out of an odd mix of empathy and guilt.

Now she wished she'd just let her senpai go instead. Nothing seemed to faze him. But she certainly had no idea how to progress from here. What was appropriate conversation after you'd walked in on your classmate kissing your teacher?

"Nakiri-san."

Erina looked up at Hayama, the aroma chef's face now back to its normal, calm expression.

"If I may ask, what exactly are you thinking?"

"Um…what exactly do you mean, Hayama-kun?"

Hayama looked into her eyes, his expression serious.

"Nakiri-san, let's speak plainly. I know you just walked in on Jun and I…well, you know…"

His confidence seemed to falter and he coughed, his cheeks brightening ever so slightly.

"I just want to know what exactly you're thinking. I'm not so foolish as to believe you thought nothing of what you saw."

Erina looked away from Hayama, blushing. He was right, she certainly didn't think it was nothing. Not in the least.

"Hayama-kun. It's…I…"

Erina huffed, shaking her head.

"I'm here to formally invite you to reside at the Polar Star Dormitory, contingent on you passing Fumio-san's entrance exam, of course."

Hayama blinked, taken off guard by the sudden shift in the topic of the conversation. He looked at Erina who still looked away from him.

"That's…I appreciate the offer I suppose, Nakiri-san. That won't be necessary, however."

"It won't?" asked Erina in surprise. It had only been a few hours since the shokugeki, could Hayama have found new accommodations already? That shouldn't have been possible, housing in the area was notoriously hard to come by.

"Indeed. I've made some arrangements and everything should be fine. The seminar won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

' _Does that mean he negotiated with my father? Or Yukihira-kun?'_ thought Erina, trying to figure out a tactful way to pose the question.

"Hayama-kun. You didn't have to commit to anything… _distasteful_ , did you?" she asked, her mind briefly overtaken by a flash of fear as she thought about if Hayama was to soon follow in Sōma's footsteps. To her relief, Hayama shook his head, his eyes amused.

"Nothing of the sort, Nakiri-san. I simply have to do what I was always going to do."

The vague wording, combined with his closeted tone, was enough to let Erina know that she wasn't going to be getting anything more from Hayama on that particular subject. Yet another secret caught up in the web that was Yukihira Sōma. It was getting more than a little frustrating now.

Suddenly the door burst open and Jun walked back in with a tray bearing a pot of tea, cups and cookies. The smile on her face was just a bit too forced and Erina could hear the tinkling of the china from her trembling as she walked over, setting the tray on the coffee table. She bowed to Erina, more than a little stiffly.

"Please, have a seat Nakiri-chan."

Erina took the proffered seat on the coach, placing the basket on the coffee table. Jun sat on the coach opposite her, still smiling.

"Ah, if I may ask, what's in the basket Nakiri-chan?"

Erina uncovered it, showing the collection of vegetables that she'd brought from the gardens at the dormitory.

"It's just a few things we grew at the dorm, Shiomi-sensei. I was coming over to offer Hayama-kun a place in the dorm, and decided to bring a gift along."

"That's so nice, thank you!" said Jun, a bit too loudly and a bit too cheerfully. Erina smiled awkwardly in return, doing her best to react naturally to her clearly uncomfortable teacher. Hayama took a seat next to Jun, his arm going around her as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Jun squeaked, her face going completely red. If she'd been stiff before, she was a veritable statue now.

"H-H-H-Hayama-kun…w-w-what exactly are you d-doing?"

"There's no point playing coy with her, Jun." sighed Hayama, pulling her towards him so that her shoulder rested snugly against his chest. She put up a feeble resistance before sighing and leaning against him, seeming to relax a bit, even if her face still resembled one of the tomatoes in Erina's basket.

"The question is just what she plans to do now." said Hayama, staring at Erina, almost challengingly. Erina stared back, frowning as she considered just what Hayama had said. Embarrassment aside, this was a fairly serious situation. Something that could easily ruin both of the lives that sat before her. Jun would lose her position within Tōtsuki and, depending on how culpable he was, so could Hayama.

Rightfully so, really. What they were doing was inappropriate and shameful. Erina should report this, if she was being honest. It's what she should be doing right now, in fact. But…

She thought back to what she saw, before she'd tripped and alerted the two to her presence. When they'd pulled back and looked at each other in that brief second before she'd fallen over. She'd seen something. Something she really didn't understand. She felt half remembered words in the back of her head.

 _Geez! You have no idea what love is! You really are no good, Erina!_

Erina ground her teeth in response to the memory. What did Alice know? It's not like she'd ever been in love either.

Across campus, at the Nakiri mansion, Alice sneezed, hurriedly checking to see if she'd woken up the red headed boy dozing against her midsection as she ran her fingers through his hair. She ignored how warm her stomach felt, chalking it up to Sōma having a particularly warm forehead.

Back at the Shiomi seminar, Erina crossed her arms and leant back, ponderously. Even though she wasn't a member of the Elite Ten anymore, she still felt some responsibility towards Tōtsuki and its status and reputation.

"Shiomi-sensei. Tōtsuki regulations explicitly forbid relationships between students and teachers. By right, I should call Human Resources right now and report you."

"What."

Hayama's voice was pure ice, the coldness almost enough to bring back memories Erina would rather forget. Despite that, Erina looked at Hayama, who was glaring at her, every expression he kept off his face held in his bright green eyes. Erina didn't back down, it would be long before she backed down to anyone that didn't have the unfair advantage of being her sire.

"She's taking advantage of you, Hayama-kun." said Erina, thinking back to the Tōtsuki rules and regulations she'd all but memorized what seemed like forever ago. "She's in a position of power as your teacher and, if there's any sort of illicit relationship between you two, the blame falls on her for it."

"You. Know. Nothing."

Hayama's voice hadn't gained any warmth, the venom in his tone clear.

"Don't you dare speak of things you know nothing about, Nakiri Erina."

"It's the rules, Hayama-kun." said Erina snappishly, the boy's tone bringing out the temper she was known for. "That is simply how things are. The rules are in place for a reason. As a student of the most illustrious cooking institution in the world, it's your duty to follow them."

Hayama felt Jun start to shiver and he looked down at her to see a morose expression on her face. She sat up, pushing away from the white haired boy.

"She's right, Hayama-kun. We…I should've been more responsible. I'm your teacher and your guardian. This is my failure."

Jun sniffed, pulling her glasses off of her face as she wiped at one of her eyes.

"I…I shouldn't have been foolish enough to…to…"

Jun hiccupped, the words stuck in her throat as she looked down at her knees.

"To what, Jun?" Hayama asked, glaring at the girl across from him who met his glare with one of her own.

"To fall in love with you."

The six words were said quietly, at a barely audible volume, but no one in the room missed them. Hayama's expression had turned into one of shock as he looked back at Jun, who was still staring down at her knees. Erina's face held a similar look of surprise and she looked at the diminutive professor, turning something over in her mind.

"Is that really how you feel, Shiomi-sensei?" she asked, surprising herself. She normally wasn't this forward, especially when it came to things she didn't understand, but there wasn't exactly anything normal about this situation anymore.

Jun was quiet for a second, but Erina saw her hands trembling. She gripped her knees and she looked up, her brown eyes meeting Erina's. While there was certainly embarrassment, shame and more than a bit of fear, she still held the Nakiri heiress' gaze with firm resolution.

"Yes."

"Even though it could cost you your tenure here? Your entire career?" asked Erina, dumbfounded at the simple, affirmative response.

"Even then."

The conviction in her tone was unmistakeable and Erina found herself thrown by it. By the sheer certainty in her voice. An errant thought crossed Erina's mind and she suddenly found herself uncertain, her thoughts of shameful behaviour and broken regulations being interrupted by a vision of a dark haired man, with kind, dark eyes in a chef's uniform. Would she…is that…

"I don't understand." admitted Erina, more than a little conflicted as she thought of the feelings she held towards Yukihira-sensei. Equal parts respect and admiration. Was that love? Should she want to date him? Kiss him? Did that make her just as improper as she was accusing Jun and Hayama of being?

"What's there not to understand, Nakiri-san?" asked Hayama, not looking at the girl in favour of staring down softly at Jun, who had gone back to staring down at her knees, her face still an iridescent red.

"Love…what exactly is it?" she asked, forcing each word out as she fought her own embarrassment. She'd never imagined that she would be having this sort of discussion today, least of all with her teacher and classmate. But she needed to understand this, lest she be unable to ever face her childhood idol again.

Hayama looked at the girl, pondering her question. He wasn't exactly an expert, after all. He'd never been in any sort of romantic relationship, had never been on a single date. He'd never even kissed a woman! At least, before tonight. He racked his brain, trying to come up with a suitable answer for the girl but he wasn't finding any words. All he was finding were feelings, his feelings for Jun. How could he put those into words?

Luckily, he didn't have to.

"Love is when you admire someone more than anyone else in the world."

Hayama felt a hand grab his and he looked over to see Jun smiling at him. He couldn't help but smile softly in response.

"Love is wanting to be with that person above all else. Love is wanting to keep that person safe and happy, even at the expense of your own. Love is…the most selfish but also the most selfless way to feel about another person in this world, Nakiri-chan."

Jun squeezed Hayama's hand and looked at Erina, smiling happily without a single trace of embarrassment.

"Love. Being in love, that is…it's something you can't mistake for anything else. Love is caring for someone, no matter what they do or how far away they are. Wanting to be with them no matter how out of reach they may be, for one reason or the other."

At those words, Erina saw the image in her mind change. She saw the chef's uniform fade, to be replaced by a black, school issued blazer. Hayama spoke up, his voice light as he held Jun's hand in his.

"Love also makes you stupid. You feel happy even when you're frustrated beyond all reason that a certain someone fell asleep on the floorboards for the fourth time in a week."

Jun pouted, looking away from Hayama indignantly, provoking a laugh from the boy.

"I keep telling you that you don't need to move me, Hayama-kun. I can take care of myself, you know!"

Hayama looked down at their joined hands and he smiled again, something unreadable in his green eyes.

"You can say that all you like, Jun. I'll still be there to pick you up every single time. I'll always be there to help you, even when you try to handle everything by yourself. Is that not love too?"

Erina saw the dark hair lighten, growing shorter as it flared out into red spikes.

 _My son doesn't need any saving, Erina-chan...This is something Sōma has committed to tackling himself…_

Kind eyes lightened into mischievous, golden eyes. A grin adorned his lips as he looked back at Erina, hand held out to her, his wrist adorned with a silver chain.

"In the end, Nakiri-chan…love doesn't care about rules, or status or age or anything like that. It's blind and reckless and foolish. And it'll drag you along with it, whether you like it or not."

"And that's a good thing? Being subject to this…this mindless thing that cares little for the way things are? The way they should be?" asked Erina, her temper flaring as she tried to expel the image of golden eyes and teasing smirks from her mind. She ignored the way her heart beat just a bit faster. It meant nothing. Nothing at all.

"What's the use in that? What's the point?" she asked, more to herself than to the two people that sat in front of her.

"Nakiri-san."

Hayama looked at her, his expression serious.

"How important do you think cooking is to me?"

Erina wasn't sure how to answer. Once, she would've said it was obviously the most important thing to him, it had to be if he truly wanted to compete at a school like Tōtsuki. But now, she was unsure.

"I don't know, Hayama-kun." she answered honestly.

"Cooking has been my passion for years. Even before I started attending Tōtsuki. I've worked tirelessly and devoted my entire being to being the best chef that I can be. It's my life's work, completely and utterly. And if I was forced to choose between Jun and being able to step foot in a kitchen again, I would choose Jun each and every time. With zero hesitation and even less regret."

Erina looked at Hayama, stunned beyond words at the gravity of his words. It was unfathomable. Cooking was the very lifeblood of this school, of its students. It wasn't something to be thrown away, no matter the cost. She thought back to the many alumni she'd met over the years who'd gone on to become world class chefs. About the sacrifices they'd made to get to where they were. The friends they'd left behind and the things they'd given up in pursuit of their goals.

And then she thought about a chef that she knew who hadn't done that. Who'd dropped out of Tōtsuki, settled down and opened a special-of-the-day diner in a middle class shopping district, despite having the skills and the clout to work at virtually any restaurant in the entire world.

When she compared the alumni in her head, to this one single man, she noticed a rather glaring difference. One that she hadn't been cognisant of before. No, that wasn't right. She'd noticed it, she just hadn't understood its importance at the time. She'd written it off as a necessary price to being the best.

They were all alone, at the top of their respective fields, and he was not. Saiba Joichiro, the man known as the Asura, a veritable demon in the cooking arena, had left the culinary world behind, changed his name and opened a special of the day restaurant. When one of her classmates had asked him why, during one of his lectures, his answer was short and direct.

 _I had someone else I needed to cook for._

She'd assumed he was just being his usual, flippant self, instead of taking it for the plain, simple truth it was. The man she looked up to most, the best cook she'd ever known had given it all up because he found someone he wanted to devote all of his cooking to. Was that love? Giving up all of your goals and dreams for someone else?

Erina didn't realize she'd said her question out loud until Jun looked at her, smiling as if she knew something the girl did not. Which was all too likely, considering how out of her depth Erina was right now.

"No. It's love when you realize that you want them to have a part in every single goal and dream that you have."

Even Hayama looked surprised at Jun's words and she looked away embarrassedly, toying with the end of her ponytail.

"You've certainly given this some thought, Jun." he said simply, causing her to redden even further.

"Hayama-kun…don't tease me." she chided half-heartedly, before looking up at Erina, earnestly.

"So what are you going to do, Nakiri-chan?"

Erina looked away, biting her lip as she thought over just what she'd learnt. Even though she'd only been here for a few minutes, her head felt full to bursting with new, confusing and downright strange information. She'd asked for the meaning of a single word and had gotten…this.

Erina stood up, flustered as she chased away thoughts of a red headed chef that seemed to be on her mind more and more as the conversation went on. She may not be exactly sure what love was, but she knew that there was no way she loved Yukihira Sōma, despite his prominence in her thoughts. It simply wasn't possible.

"Shiomi-sensei, while what you're doing is completely inappropriate and against Tōtsuki policy…you can rest assured that I won't say anything."

The sigh of relief Jun gave was more than audible and, though he hid it better, Hayama felt tension he didn't know he was carrying in his shoulders ease.

"However, I want something in exchange. May I speak with you outside please?"

"Um, sure Nakiri-chan. That's no problem."

Erina walked out of the door, closing it behind Jun as they stood in the empty hallway. She walked down a bit, the diminutive teacher following in her wake as she stopped to stare out of the window, at the blue-black evening sky outside. She didn't say anything and she could feel the confusion start to emanate from her teacher's direction.

"Shiomi-sensei, in exchange for keeping you and Hayama-kun's secret…I would like it if we could do this again. In the future, I mean."

Jun cocked her head, confused.

"Do what again, Nakiri-chan?"

Erina didn't look back at the woman, silently cursing the warmth she could feel in her cheeks.

"I…I may have more questions. In the future, I mean. About…about our topic of conversation this evening. And I just wanted to know…if you wouldn't be opposed to it, that is…I…"

"Nakiri-chan, are you looking for love counselling?" asked Jun, nonplussed. Erina turned to her, waving her hands in denial as her cheeks grew even redder.

"No, no, no! Sensei, I mean…not counselling. It's just…you're an older woman, so you clearly have more experience in these matters than I! And I'm sure you would keep our discussions confidential, right? It is certainly NOT love counselling. Of that I am certain!"

Jun looked at the flustered heiress, finding the blatant falsity endearing. Who knew the great Nakiri Erina would be so desperate for a little girl talk?

"Sure, Nakiri-chan. No problem. May I see your phone?"

Erina didn't say anything, instead just offering the device to the teacher, who took it and placed her contact information into it.

"There you go. Feel free to reach out to me anytime you want to talk, ok?"

Erina felt the urge to thank Jun but was unwilling to acknowledge that she'd needed help in the first place, so she settled for a deep nod.

"I'll be taking my leave then, Shiomi-sensei. Please give my regards to Hayama-kun."

Erina turned, walking down the hallway towards the exit with as much dignity as she could muster after what may have been among the most embarrassing, confusing and enlightening thirty minutes of her life.

* * *

Alice shut the door gently behind her, trying to make as little noise as possible. Once she was sure the door was fully closed, she walked briskly away, making sure she was several feet away from it before she started to hop up and down, squealing.

What was that? What had just happened? She didn't really know. All she knew was that Sōma's forehead was really, really warm and she was pretty sure it had made her feel warm too. She looked around, making sure she was completely alone before she squealed again, tittering happily as she held her warm cheeks in her hands. It wouldn't do for anyone to see her so undignified.

She didn't question just why she was happy, she simply knew it probably had something to do with the sleeping boy she'd left behind. It felt like butterflies were in her stomach, even now, when she'd left the room minutes ago. It was only after she'd begun starting to slowly twirl in place that Alice came to a realization.

Butterflies? Warm cheeks? Nervous energy? _Squealing_?! Oh she knew what this was, she'd seen the movies!

Alice stopped, gasping.

She had a crush! Oh yes, yes, yes! Her very first crush!

Alice wouldn't have admitted it to anyone but she'd never had any sort of relationship with boys. (unless you counted Ryo, which she didn't) Even in her middle school days, she'd always been swept up in her cooking. Between her desire to get back at Erina for abandoning her and the pressure she felt as the next in line to inherit her father's company, she simply didn't have the time for anything else.

Not that it mattered, considering no one had ever tried to ask her out before, a fact that had made her more than a little insecure once she was old enough to care about it. She was a knockout, and a Nakiri to boot! Logic dictated that the boys should've been beating down her door.

If she'd been a little more self-aware, she would've realized that being a rich heiress with an aide that resembled a demonic bodyguard more than anything else could be more than a little intimidating. Especially when everyone simply assumed you were dating said intimidating bodyguard already.

Alice went up the stairway, her steps light as she pondered this new information. Sōma was skilled, more than skilled enough to be worthy of her. Not to mention, he held power and sway here at Tōtsuki, which could be easily translated into the real world with some planning.

Was he cute? Alice thought back to him, her head filled with recollections of golden eyes and red hair. Of quiet confidence and dry wit, along with a familiar warmth once she'd gotten that chain off and she felt herself blush again.

Yes. Yes, he was cute.

Alice opened the door to her room, heading over to her armoire as she pulled her sweater over her head. As she began to change into her nightwear, she continued thinking and pondering. It wasn't until she was fully clad in her pajamas that she realized she had no clue what to do now. Beyond being able to figure out if a boy was worthy of her affection, she had no idea how to proceed.

Her eyes alighted on a stack of DVD cases and she grinned. She may have no idea how to proceed but she knew exactly where to go to find answers.

* * *

"Ojou…ojou…"

Alice blinked, squinting as she looked up into a tan and black blur. More blinking revealed it to be the placid face of Kurokiba Ryo.

"Hello there, Ryo-kun. I was simply-"

A yawn interrupted her sentence. Alice covered her mouth daintily, trying to think. What had she been doing? She was laying on something odd. Under her head felt very, very soft but the rest of her body felt a bit stiff, as if she'd been laying on an unyielding surface. She also felt hair plastered to the side of her face, practically in her mouth, and a grey blanket lay over her curled form.

Alice sat up slowly with a stretch, yawning again, the blanket around her form falling from her shoulders. That had been a particularly good nap, it seemed, although she honestly didn't remember falling asleep with a blanket. In fact, why was she napping in the evening time at all? What time was it now?!

"Ryo-kun, what time is it?"

"It's eight in the morning, ojou."

Eight in the morning? That couldn't be right. Alice looked around, noting that the room was much brighter than she remembered as early morning sunshine streamed in through the windows. She could've sworn it had just been the dead of night.

"Did you fall asleep watching romantic movies again?"

The boy's sentence set off warning bells in Alice's head and she gasped as she realized just what had happened. She looked behind her and recognized the large, purple cushion that she preferred to use in the entertainment room, which was where she was now. A stack of movie cases was on the floor in front of her, and the TV was lit up with an animated menu displaying several scenes, all of which took place on a large cruise ship.

Alice frowned as she realized just what had happened. She'd come down to try and do research to help her with her situation but had been foiled by the softness of her favourite cushion. A quick glance at the table showed her that she hadn't even made it through _Titanic_ , her first choice, let alone any of the other movies she'd brought down with her.

She felt angry tears well up in her eyes and she crossed her arms, glaring at nothing. She had no one to blame but herself, after all. Actually that wasn't quite true…

"Ryo-kun! Get me the name of this cushion's manufacturer immediately!"

She got a very slow blink in response, along with an accompanying yawn.

"How about I get you some tea instead?"

Alice pouted, crossing her arms and looking away from him.

"That would be a suitable alternative."

"Sure, sure…"

Ryo shuffled off, looking even more zombie like than usual. It went without saying that mornings didn't agree with him.

"Oh, Ryo-kun. Thank you for the blanket by the way. It seems like old dogs can indeed learn new tricks."

Ryo turned to look at her, his eyes half blurred from sleep. He opened his mouth, as if to respond to the teasing, but he simply closed it and sighed, shuffling off to fulfil his original goal of fetching tea. It was too early in the morning to properly deal with his mistress.

Alice got to her feet, stretching further as she felt her body loosen up from its night spent on the hardwood floor. She moved her hands to feel around her head, pouting as she felt the dip in one side and the flare up of the other. She didn't have a mirror but she'd bet she had a terrible case of bed head. Sleeping on her side always did that to her.

She yawned one final time, rubbing at her eyes. Well, it wasn't like there was anyone but Ryo or servants around to see, considering Erina had moved out and Azami rarely spent time at the mansion. She shouldn't have any witnesses to her less than becoming appearance.

"Good morning, Nakiri-ojou."

Alice shrieked, spinning around so fast that she stumbled, falling onto the cushion behind her, leaving her to look up into the eyes of Yukihira Sōma, who seemed somewhere in between amused and very amused, if the small smirk on his face was any indication. He wasn't wearing his regular attire, instead being clad in a grey tracksuit and worn tennis shoes.

"Good morning, Sōma-kun." said Alice, her heart thumping in her chest from both the scare and who had caused it. She realized the position she was in and felt the tips of her ears slowly start to heat up. Never had she wished so hard that she didn't have the porcelain complexion that she did.

"Would you like some assistance getting up?"

Nodding mutely, Alice took the extended hand, ignoring the way she felt sparks as her fingers touched his. She wasn't ready for this, not at all. She'd barely made it half an hour before nodding off during her research! Jack was still downstairs and Rose was still with her jerk of a fiancée. That didn't give her anything to use here.

And as if that wasn't enough, she saw Sōma's eyes briefly flick over to her hair, which she knew, from experience, had a tendency to stick up in an ugly cowlick if she slept badly. She couldn't see it but she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was there. And it was killing her.

"I…I have something to do, so if you'll excuse me!"

With that, Alice turned and walked off as proudly as she could with rumpled pajamas and morning breath. Once she rounded the corner, she crouched immediately, whining pitifully to herself. It wasn't fair!

* * *

"Good morning Mama, I trust all is well?" said Alice, holding a sleek smartphone to her ear as she walked through the halls, fully dressed and showered and hungry. It had taken her over an hour to be fully satisfied with how she looked, determined as she was to make up for her earlier beleaguered appearance.

" _Ja, although it isn't morning over here, my little skrupsak. Regardless, things are fine._ " replied Nakiri Leonora in fluent Danish.

"Mama, please. Speak Japanese. You know it's the only way you'll get better."

" _But it's so hard. It's such a complex language, my sweet. So many differing phonetics, and they all sound so alikeeee._ "

"Mama!"

" _Fine. Fine._ Good morning, Alice-kun. Good you are? _"_

Alice winced at her mother's butchering of the language. It was almost impressive how bad she was at speaking Japanese considering how long she'd been married to Alice's father. Her mother would've probably been a top contender at Tōtsuki if she hadn't failed out of her first year because she couldn't get passing marks in her basic language courses.

"I am fine, mama. And it should be chan, not kun. Kun's used more for boys. Or _kohai_."

"Kohai _?_ "

"It means like someone who's your junior, under you. Like a protégé, for example."

"But you are junior to me, right? I be mom after all."

"Yes, but really it's more for-Never mind that Mama! That's not why I called!" she shouted into the phone, walking into the dining room and seeing that someone had already laid out a breakfast consisting of white rice, grilled fish and soup. Ryo had already taken a seat at the table, and he was looking down at his plate in fierce concentration, prodding one of the half eaten fish there.

"Ok, ok. What's wrong? Did you lose another battle of cooking?" asked Leonora, her speech slow and plodding.

"No!" replied Alice hotly, taking a seat across from her aide. She began to spoon rice and fish onto her plate.

"Then what? Are you having problems with Erina?"

"No, it's not her either, Mama. It's…"

Alice looked over at Ryo, who seemed absorbed in pulling apart the cooked fish on his plate. The intensity with which he did it would've almost been concerning if Alice hadn't been used to him doing much stranger things than picking at his food. Satisfied that he was distracted, Alice's voice dropped into a whisper.

"It's a boy."

"Eh? Did I hear you properly Alice-chan?! Are you perhaps speaking about a boy, as in a young man as in a member of the opposite sex that you find yourself feeling interest towards, romantically or otherwise? Is that the context in which you meant it?"

Leonora's voice had heightened in both pitch and volume, her excitement such that she'd stripped off her broken Japanese, revealing the eloquence she displayed only when truly surprised or elated.

Alice blushed at her mother's blunt summation of the situation.

"Well…yes. There's this boy I think I like. A little. Maybe."

"Oh, oh, darling! That's so precious? Who is he? Is he handsome? Is he strong, manly? Is he a good cook? Oh, what am I saying, of course he is. Unless you found yourself a boy outside of Tōtsuki, oh is it a city boy? Now you know Alice, your father and I wouldn't tolerate you bringing home some leather jacket wearing, bike riding bad boy!"

"Mama!" Alice shouted, scandalized. "You're getting ahead of yourself, please! It's no big deal!"

"No big deal?" questioned Leonora knowingly. Alice held firm for a second before turning away from the table, talking quietly into her phone.

"Ok, ok, yes Mama. It's a big deal. A huge deal. And I don't know what to do, help me please!"

"That's more like it." said the elder Nakiri. Alice had never been any good at faking things with her, especially not things that mattered, something the woman knew all too well. "So this boy, tell me about him."

"Well, he's another student, a first year like me. You'd know him actually, his name is Yukihira Sōma. He was one of the finalists in the Autumn Election, remember?"

"Oh, isn't that the boy that trounced you in the quarter finals?"

"Trounced is a very, very strong word!" retorted Alice petulantly, the reminder of her loss still stinging a bit even after all these months.

"Ah, that's so romantic, Alice-kun. You surrendered your heart to the only man worthy of it, someone who'd conquered you on the battlefield that is the cooking arena."

"Again, you're going too far Mama! It isn't even like that. I just kind of like him, okay?"

"Like who?"

Alice blinked, turning around to look at Ryo who seemed to have given up on his food, the contents half eaten. He was lounging back in his chair, staring at her with his bag laden eyes. She'd completely forgotten about his presence, and wondered how much he'd heard before deciding it didn't matter. She didn't feel the need to hide it from him, not really. This was Ryo, her trusted aide of eight years. If he couldn't keep her secrets, then no one could.

Picking up a piece of fish, Alice popped it into her mouth, chewing idly.

"If you must know, Ryo-kun. I'm speaking of Sōma-kun."

"Oh really? And in what context might that be, Nakiri-ojou?"

Alice jumped as she heard the unexpected voice behind her. Really? Seriously, Kami-sama? For the second time today, Yukihira Sōma had popped up, seemingly out of nowhere at the most inopportune time. Alice felt the butterflies in her stomach start to flap rapidly, this time out of nervousness.

"It was…well, you see…I…um…"

"I believe ojou was talking to her mother about the fact that you now live here, Yukihira." interjected Ryo smoothly, his eyes meeting Alice's. She hoped he could see the thanks in hers for his quick thinking.

"Did Kurokiba-chan just say he was living there, Alice-kun? Did I understand that right?" asked Leonora, a note of warning in her tone.

On second thought, maybe Ryo's quick thinking hadn't been as ideal as she'd first thought.

"Alice Eleonore Nakiri. Did you or did you not _invite a boy you barely know to live with you?!_ "

With each word, her mother's voice grew louder until she was practically shouting as she slipped back into her native tongue, causing Alice to cringe.

"Mama…it's not like that. _Sōma-kun works for Uncle Azami, so he's staying in the servant quarters. We're not…living together. Or anything._ "

Alice had switched to speaking Danish as well, attempting to keep her words from the red head across the table who was sipping at his soup, watching her just a bit too attentively.

" _Oh, I see. Well…alright then. But I swear, if I get even the slightest hint of you doing anything I wouldn't approve of, I'll have you shipped off to that derelict dormitory right alongside your cousin!_ "

Alice blanched, thinking back to the Polar Star Dormitory, with its creepy pipes, overgrown gating and peeling paint. She'd spent more than one slumber party night there, and it had certainly been fun. But it had been fun in the same way that camping was fun. You enjoyed the first night you spend sleeping on the ground. But it got old. Fast.

" _No, no. That won't be necessary, I promise. I'll be good, Mama!"_

" _See that you do. Now, discipline aside, tell me more about this young man._ "

It was almost frightening how her tone switched so easily from stern threatening to teenaged gossiping.

" _Mama, but he's…he's right here._ " said Alice, doing her best to not look at Sōma. Ryo looked like he was doing his best to not burst into low pitched chuckles then and there, the warning glare from Alice only barely keeping him at bay.

" _So? You're speaking in our homeland's tongue now, sveske. Your words are safe._ "

Alice looked to be weighing her mother's words carefully before she burst into speech, carefully avoiding Sōma's name but disclosing everything else she knew about him. His diner, his friends, his skill in the kitchen, his oddly interesting scarred eyebrow. She left nothing out, speaking excitedly as she looked anywhere but in his direction, patting herself on the back for such clever tactics.

It was only after several minutes of speaking and a long, heartfelt goodbye to her mother that Alice hung up her phone, sighing contentedly. Ever since she'd figured out her situation, she'd wanted to discuss it with her mother. The woman had nagged here more than once about her love life and it felt good to finally have something to say about it, preliminary as it was.

Alice hummed happily, eating her food in earnest as she thought over some of the advice her mom had given her. Her mother had really gotten going once they'd resumed speaking in Danish, and the tips had practically flooded through. She'd all but laid out a map for Alice to follow.

She looked over at Sōma, grinning at him. She pointed her chopsticks towards him, almost challengingly.

" _I'm afraid you don't stand a chance here, Sōma-kun!_ "

Sōma looked at her, his expression almost bemused.

"Would it distress you if I told you that I'm fluent in Danish, Nakiri-ojou?"

"Yes. Very much so, Sōma-kun."

"Ah. I suppose it's a good thing I'm not then, _ne_?"

Alice nodded blissfully, scooping more rice into her mouth, the deliciousness of the dish only further adding to her mood.

"This tastes delicious, Ryo-kun. Is this your work?"

Ryo looked surprised at her words.

"You really like it, ojou?"

Alice nodded, chewing eagerly on the fish which had just the right amount of tang from salt and smoke.

"It's very well done, some of your best work I must say."

"I'm afraid I can't take credit for this meal, ojou. Yukihira's the one responsible for this."

Ryo jerked his head towards the chef, who'd leaned back in his chair to watch Alice eat with a curious gaze. Alice blinked, looking down at the food before her. She could honestly say she was surprised. After watching so many of Sōma's shokugekis, she'd assumed his food would be unpalatable. Based on the judges' reactions anyway.

She picked up another morsel of rice, staring down at it. She sniffed tentatively, noting its scent before putting it in her mouth, making a concerted effort to focus on its flavour.

As she gave her full attention to the dish, she found herself spirited away to a desolate field. It was completely lifeless, but for a single redheaded boy, crouched and shivering in its center. She advanced towards him, cautiously.

He turned towards her, his expression fixed into one of aggression and hatred even as tears ran from his eyes. He growled at Alice, lunging towards her but being pulled short by the silver chain shackled to his ankle that was staked into the ground. He swung his hands furiously, swiping in her direction with a ferocity that few grown men could match, let alone children.

Instead of feeling fearful or angry in response, Alice simply felt sad and sympathetic. She approached the boy, getting within his reach and ignoring how he screamed at her, shying away from her approach despite his earlier bravado. Alice knelt down in front of him, wrapping him in her arms as she pulled him towards her, ignoring his kicking and screaming.

She pulled him in, his struggles quieting as she hummed softly, feeling a strange protective urge that she wasn't used to feeling.

 _It's alright. I'm here now, you are safe._

The boy's struggles ceased completely as she held him, a feeling of peace enveloping the both of them.

"So how was it, ojou?"

Alice blinked, finding herself back at the dinner table. Ryo was looking at her intently, his eyes focused on her expression while Sōma eyed her with much-too-casual disinterest from where he stood near the exit to the room. Alice looked down at her plate, finding the entire meal gone, picked clean. She felt the remnants in her teeth and on her tongue, so she knew she must have eaten it but she hadn't realized she'd been eating at all.

"It was…delicious." she answered honestly. "Very well done. I'd expect nothing less."

"But how did it make you feel?" asked Ryo intensely, his eyes flaring as he fingered the bandanna on his wrist. He pulled it free, wrapping it around his head as his eyes widened fully.

" **Do you feel a sense of rage, anger, passion? Hatred? An urge to smash something into nothing?** " Ryo hissed, his knuckles whitening where he was gripping the table and pointedly not looking at Sōma.

Alice thought back, considering. She'd certainly noticed something along that line, yes. The aimless negativity held within the very fibres of the dish that permeated that lonely place. But it didn't affect her, in that sense anyway. It just made her feel…something. Something she wasn't sure she fully understood.

Nakiri Alice was many things, but selflessly protective wasn't usually one of them. But that is how Sōma's dish made her feel.

"I may feel a touch discontent, maybe a little annoyed. But that's it." she lied smoothly, pushing the empty plate away from her as she stood. "I guess my will is just stronger than yours, Ryo-channn."

She smiled cheekily at the boy who glowered, rising to his feet as he slammed his fists into the table.

" **What was that, bitch?!** "

Alice's cheeks puffed up and she slammed her hands down on the table in a mirror of Ryo's.

"Who exactly are you calling a bitch?! Looks like you need to be taught your place. Go and prep the kitchens, dog!"

" **Gladly…** " he growled, storming off to prepare their usual battlefield.

"Hmph, so disrespectful. I swear…" she muttered to herself, storming towards the exit and striding past Sōma, who was leaning against the door jamb from where he had been observing their argument passively.

"Nakiri-ojou."

"Stop that, Sōma-kun!" Alice twirled to face him, pointing a finger into his face, which caused him to lean back in surprise. He blinked down at the girl, the question clear on his face.

"That's so stuffy and proper. Nakiri-ojou this. Nakiri-ojou that. Don't do that."

Sōma raised his scarred eyebrow at her.

"I'm simply being respectful of your station, as is expected of me."

"Well it's very annoying! Plus I'm not the only Nakiri around anyway, so it just feels weird."

"Alice-ojou then?"

Alice shook her head vigorously, frustrated. Couldn't the boy take a hint?!

"No, that won't work either."

"Why not?"

"Because…because…" Alice bit her lip, trying to think of an excuse. "That's Ryo-kun's personal term of address. I don't think he'd be very happy if someone else began using it."

Alice doubted the blatantly transparent answer fooled the boy, especially considering how perceptive he'd proven to be since his return. But he didn't call her on it. Instead, he simply shrugged.

"Then what shall I call you?"

"Call me Alice-chan. Or even just Alice!"

Sōma blinked at the intimate suggestion, and Alice saw just a hint of red stain his cheeks. He looked away from her, his face stubbornly set in an impassive expression.

"I don't think that would be a very good idea. All things considered. I highly doubt Azami-sama would approve."

' _Uncle Azami can take his approval and shove it.'_ thought Alice, her cheeks puffing out petulantly. Still, she knew that the boy had a point. If he were to continue his "game" with her Uncle, it wouldn't do for him to step out of line unnecessarily.

"Fine, fine. How about just when we're alone then? Call me Alice."

"Alice-san then?" said Sōma. Alice poked him in the cheek, somehow being aggressive while being gentle.

"Just. Alice."

Sōma stared into her deep red eyes and he felt that odd discomfort again. That part of him that seemed ever so willing to flare up when he was around this girl. It was worrying, to say the least. But he couldn't bring himself to fight it either.

"Alright then…Alice."

Alice smiled and Sōma almost gasped as he felt his heart start to beat faster, the feeling increasing in weight but in a way that made him…happy? Was he feeling happy? If so, it was a different kind of happiness than he'd known, even before when he was more…whole. Happiness felt good in a way that was light, airy and carefree. This other sort of happiness felt good in a different way, a weighted way that seemed to mix with nervousness and fear in an odd cocktail that left Sōma feeling just the slightest bit light headed.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go teach a mutt some manners. I'll be seeing you, Sōma-kun!"

Alice skipped off, waving at him. Sōma found himself waving back, wondering just what it was about Nakiri Alice that had such an effect on him. This odd, chaotic, disarming effect that made him do things like wave and smile, or cook breakfast or place a blanket over her sleeping form while he finished watching an oddly touching movie about two lovers' fateful encounter on a boat that was destined to sink.

He didn't do those things. That wasn't what he was for, that wasn't his purpose. But being around Alice seemed to make him go against that; it made him do things he wouldn't normally do.

Sōma frowned, trying to analyse what effect this may have on his current plans. He found his efforts stymied, however, as he just kept thinking about Alice herself. About how her prattling was both annoying and endearing, about how she would be completely silly one minute and serious the next. About how she was considerate of his secrets, even though his explanations were woefully inadequate.

Sōma headed out of the dining room, hearing the familiar noises of cooking prep echoing throughout the mansion as Alice and Ryo's duel began. He fought the urge to go and spectate simply for the sake of spectating. Instead he moved towards his room, trying to clear his thoughts so that he could properly focus on the next phase of his goals.

Today was the first day of Tōtsuki's final break of the academic year. Most Japanese high schools had their spring breaks at the end of March, immediately following their graduation ceremonies. However, Tōtsuki did things a little bit differently. Spring break was split into two portions; two weeks at the end of February and then one week after the first week in April, which is also when the graduation ceremony would occur.

They also finished their academic curriculum officially with the end of year exams immediately following the first spring break, which usually fell in the first week of March. This left the remaining weeks of the month for a very special purpose that the entire school would gather for, whether it was to support, participate or administrate. A purpose that Sōma had been working towards for months, which would herald the beginning of the end of his game with Nakiri Azami.

The selection of the coming year's Elite Ten Council.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! So this was a big chapter as well (both in length and importance) but in a different way than last chapter. Also, something to take note of, if you haven't already: The pairing of our favourite red head has been officially declared and added to the summary of this story. Sōma/Alice is now officially a thing. I'm sure this will earn me both love and hate, so I urge all of you to leave your love/hate/thoughts/flames in review fashion to assist me on my way to the First Seat of the SnS fandom! I hope you liked it!**


	10. Chapter 10

"So how many wins is that for me now dog, hmmm?"

Ryo rolled his eyes, staring out the window at the passing scenery.

"I wouldn't know, ojou. I stopped counting when I pulled ahead by more than a dozen last year."

The comment had the intended effect and Alice leaned over, swatting at Ryo's shoulder where he sat in the passenger seat of the car. Sōma occupied the other half of the backseat with her and he was looking through a manila folder he'd brought with them, having stayed silent for most of the ride.

Alice looked over at him, and pouted further. She'd covertly ordered Ryo to take the front seat of the car, which he apparently claimed with a "shotgun" (although she didn't know why such threats of violence were necessary for reserving a simple seat) so that she could sit in the backseat with Sōma for the purposes of conversation.

But the boy had proven reticent, merely responding politely to each of her overtures without offering any of his own, instead preferring to look down at the papers he was sifting through. It was frustrating and Alice had no idea how to make her displeasure known without coming off as insecure or overly bossy. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Are we almost there, Sōma-kun?" she asked, wondering if he was going to continue being coy. He looked up at her, seeming distracted.

"Indeed. It should be just a few more minutes, Nakiri-ojou."

"That's what you said a few minutes ago!" she said, frowning exaggeratedly. Sōma's lip upturned slightly, his equivalent of a smile.

"Are you the judge on what defines 'few', Nakiri-ojou? It's a vague word by definition, you know."

Alice was torn between annoyance at his obvious jibe and eagerness that he finally responded with something more than dry, polite facts. She decided to go with annoyance and she turned away from him, haughtily. Sōma looked over at her, his eyes alight with humor, but he didn't say anything, instead continuing to peruse the files before him.

Alice looked back at him, choosing to just look at him, trying to figure out why something about his expression was bothering her. It took her a few minutes, but she realized. With each mile they'd put between them and Tōtsuki, Sōma's expression had eased. While he still didn't seem happy, he seemed a lot more content than she'd ever seen him recently, especially considering his chain was still firmly locked onto his wrist.

Stress lines on his face that she'd barely noticed before had vanished and his eyes, though still rather cool and empty, were much lighter than usual. His shoulders were lower and less tense, and he leaned back in his seat, his posture loose.

Usually, Sōma resembled a pulled bow string. Taut and ready at all times, firmly in control to the point where he seemed to be holding his entire body in a mechanically stiff posture through sheer willpower alone. But now, he was looser, freer. He seemed like he was well and truly relaxed.

Sōma glanced up at her, their eyes meeting. Alice smiled, doing nothing to hide the fact that she'd been staring at him. Sōma's eyebrows rose, questioningly, but Alice didn't say anything, instead simply choosing to keep staring at him.

"We're here, Yukihira-dono."

Sōma looked away, losing the impromptu staring match. Alice glanced out of the window, noticing that they'd indeed pulled to a stop.

"Thank you, Manatabe."

Sōma closed the folder, exiting through the car door and gesturing for Alice to follow. She stepped out and looked around, finding that they'd stopped in what seemed to be a local shopping district. A variety of stores surrounded her, with colorful banners and awnings adorning them, proudly showcasing the name of the businesses they sheltered. A large arch in the distance read 'Sumiredōri Shopping District'.

Why would Sōma bring them to some out-of-the-way shopping district? He'd said that they had important errands to run, but she didn't see how anything here could be useful against her uncle. Although, on a personal note, a few of the shops looked pretty interesting. She didn't really browse around and shop all that often, usually just sending an employee or servant to get whatever she needed for her, so window shopping was still an exciting concept to her.

"Alice."

Alice turned, finding Sōma standing in front of her, holding out a piece of paper. The car they'd taken was pulling away down the street, rounding a corner as it disappeared from sight.

"Could you go and pick up everything on this list? There's a store that should have everything you need a few blocks down, near the arch."

Alice took the paper, eyeing it curiously and seeing that it was full of ingredients. Tomatoes, eggs, seaweed wraps…it seemed to be an honest-to-goodness grocery list, with the necessary quantities listed beside each item. She looked back up at the red head, who was looking back at her with a completely serious expression.

"You want me to do your shopping, Sōma-kun?" she asked, nonplussed. Sōma nodded.

Alice didn't know how to feel. She'd expected that they were here on some sort of secret mission to assist them in their campaign against Azami. Perhaps to meet up with an informant or something of that nature. She certainly didn't expect that she was here to play housewife. She was a Nakiri. Not some common high school girl.

"Sōma-kun, is this really necessary? Why can't we just have one of the staff pick it up for us? What do you even need these things for, I'm pretty sure we have everything on this list in surplus back at the mansion."

"Yes, we do. But these ingredients aren't for the mansion, they're for our errand here today. And we don't have anyone available right now, as Manatabe has already left to resume his shift back at the mansion. Which is why it needs to be you, Alice. It shouldn't take very long."

Alice felt even more confused at Sōma's explanation, which seemed to be a recurring trend.

"Well, fine. We can just send Ryo off to fetch these…"

"I'm afraid I've already sent Kurokiba-san on another errand. He's already left with Manatabe. And unfortunately, I'm unable to go as well, because I'll have my hands tied up setting up for us here."

"And just where is here?"

Sōma gestured at the storefront behind him. It had metal shutters pulled down over its front, hiding the contents from her eyes. She noticed that they were shaded by an awning and she stepped back out of its shadow, assuming that it would be branded with a name, as were so many of the others in the area.

 _Restaurant Yukihira_

Alice blinked, looking at the darkly colored kanji boldly displayed on the red fabric. Why had Sōma brought them to his family's diner?

"Oi, Yukihira! Are you guys opening for the day?"

A dark haired man stepped up to Sōma, smiling eagerly. Sōma nodded politely, shaking his hand.

"Greetings Mushimoto-san. Yes, Yukihira's is opening for the day in a short while. Could you do me a favor and let a few of the others know?"

"You got it Yukihira! Hey, Kobe-san, you'll never guess who's reopening for the day!"

The man rushed off to a nearby storefront, disappearing inside of it. Alice didn't say anything, looking at where he'd run off to and wondering if maybe, just maybe, Sōma had actually brought them all the way down here just to reopen his family diner for the day.

"Alice, you'd better hurry. Mushimoto-san's a terrible gossip, so we'll probably have our hands full before you know it."

Alice turned to see Sōma's back to her, as he slid open the traditional Japanese doors that acted as the storefront's entrance. He went inside, closing the door with a soft thump and leaving Alice standing alone on the sidewalk.

It wasn't until she'd already started making her way towards the grocery store that she realized that, once again, Sōma had been generous with the definition of "a few blocks" and she gritted her teeth angrily, adding the injustice to another list that she'd started compiling in her head. It was titled 'Reasons to yell at Yukihira Sōma when we get home'. With the way the day was going, she was certain this list would be much longer than the grocery list she held in her hands.

* * *

Alice huffed as she walked back to the diner, her arms laden with plastic bags filled with ingredients. If she'd been peeved before, she was absolutely livid now. She'd been held up at the check-out line at the grocery store, because she hadn't realized until then that Sōma hadn't given her any funds with which to make the purchases. On top of that, she'd left her purse in the car. Something she often did, since Ryo would usually have more than enough on him to cover any expenses they incurred on an outing.

But considering he was currently missing, she'd been forced to plead and bargain with the uncompromising cashier until the manager had been forced to come over. When she'd mentioned that she was shopping for Yukihira's, the man let her off with a smile, eagerly promising that he'd be happy to write the cost off if she promised to reserve him a table after the lunch rush.

And then the trek back, which had seemed fairly lengthy already, only seemed even longer with the added weight on her arms and shoulders. By the time she made it to the front door of the restaurant, she was pointedly ignoring the dampness on her back and neck that felt suspiciously like sweat. Her, a Nakiri, sweating in the heat like some farm animal. It was unthinkable. Hence she didn't think about it.

Nudging the sliding door open with her foot, she stepped inside to see that there were already a few patrons seated at a few of the tables scattered throughout the restaurant. Sōma stood near one at the back, conversing with the customers and writing something down on a small notepad. He'd removed his tracksuit, and instead wore a nostalgic ensemble comprised of a 'Restaurant Yukihira' shirt and an apron tied around his waist. His headband was still noticeably absent, however.

He looked up at her entrance and he gestured for her to come over.

Alice made an attempt to stomp over angrily towards him, but her attempts were stymied by her present exhaustion and the imbalance of the bags in her hands. She settled for a glare and a pout, both of which Sōma seemed to shrug off.

"Welcome back, Alice. Did you find everything we need?"

"Yes." was all she said, trying to put every ounce of irritation she felt at the menial task into the word.

"Great, can you please put them in the back? I'll be back there soon. There's a bathroom there too, if you'd like to clean up a bit."

Alice headed through the door Sōma indicated, placing the bags on the counter and sighing with relief as she rotated her shoulders. She wasn't out of shape, not really, but she also wasn't used to lugging things around in the hot sun. That's what she had Ryo for!

After washing her face, and using a wet cloth to pat at her neck to cool her down, Alice was in a much better mood. She still wasn't pleased with Sōma treating her like an errand boy, but she'd deal with that once they were done here. Her vengeance could wait. Besides, she was actually rather excited to see how Sōma ran his quaint, little diner.

Alice exited the bathroom, only to find her vision blotted out by a soft, cotton blob that hit her in the face. She yelped, stumbling back a bit as she flailed. She felt a steadying hand on her shoulder and her sight was returned to her as the fabric was pulled from her face, revealing that it was a green, long sleeved 'Restaurant Yukihira' shirt that had been the cause for her momentary blindness. It looked a bit worn, and it had a few stubborn stains dotting it here and there, clear remnants of longtime use in the ktichen.

Sōma looked at her, amused, his hand still resting lightly on her shoulder.

"My apologies. I'm afraid we're in a bit of a rush, I thought you'd catch it. Here, put this on."

Alice blinked, looking at the shirt he held out towards her. Why was he offering her clothing? Was this just another quirky feature of plebian eateries? She peeked out at the restaurant's dining area, but she didn't see anyone else wearing the branded shirts. She looked back at Sōma, who seemed insistent.

"Um…Sōma-kun, not that I mind gifts but…"

Was there a polite way to tell the boy you sort of liked that you didn't really have an interest in wearing a patchy, stained t-shirt of his?

"Gift? No, no. This isn't a gift, it's more of a loan. You'll need it to work the front."

"Work the front?" asked Alice, taking the offered shirt into her hands and looking it over. The color was slightly faded, but the bold, white kanji bearing the Yukihira name was still bright and fresh. It looked like it would fit Alice rather well, although that made her wonder whose shirt it was. She was almost certain it wouldn't fit Sōma or his father.

"Yes. You'll be taking orders, seating customers, busing tables. Things like that."

Alice looked at Sōma who'd already turned away and moved to the bags on the counter. First she was his personal shopper and now he expected her to be his waitress? Crush or no, there was only so much Alice would put up with.

"Why, Sōma-kun? Why ask this of me?"

Her tone suggested that his answer better be a good one. Sōma didn't turn to face her, instead focusing on unpacking the ingredients she'd purchased with practiced efficiency.

"If I say that it's to help you advance as a chef, would you trust that I'm speaking the truth?"

"Not unless you can give me some solid reasoning to support such an assertion."

Sōma looked over his shoulder at her, his face betraying nothing. He went to speak, but then he paused, looking out at the crowded interior, his face thoughtful as he did some quick calculations in his head. His eyes widened, just a bit, and he turned to Alice.

"Alice, I understand that you deserve an explanation. But we really don't have the time. Can you just trust me for now? Please?"

His tone was conciliatory. Almost pleading. Which was surprising to Alice, as Sōma didn't really DO pleading. Not this Sōma, anyway. She sighed, heading towards the bathroom once again.

"Fine, Sōma-kun. I'll trust you for now. But I expect a clear answer sooner rather than later!"

Alice shut the door behind her, taking off her sweater and unbuttoning her shirt, folding both items into a neat piles she set on the counter. She pulled the sweatshirt on over her head, pulling it down but finding that the hem got stuck at her chest. It took a few firm yanks before it finally made it over her breasts and Alice gasped in relief, pulling the shirt the rest of the way down. It seemed whoever this shirt belonged to wasn't quite as busty as the pale girl.

Alice looked in the mirror, pulling and tweaking at the shirt's ends before being comfortable with how it sat on her. It was a little tight in the chest area, but was a perfect fit otherwise. She struck a pose, watching how the fabric stretched across her frame and she smirked. Even in old hand me downs, she still looked amazing. She exited the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

"Ok, I'm ready Sōma-kun."

"Alright. First things first, here's a notepad and pen. Go out to the front and…"

Sōma's words stalled as he turned to give her the notepad, his eyes wide as he looked at her. The notebook fell from his fingers, hitting the floor. He made no immediate move to get it, instead just looking at Alice in stunned silence, the mix of familiarity and longing in his chest almost paralyzing.

Alice looked down at the shirt, wondering if something was wrong. Had it torn somewhere while she was putting it on?

"Is there a problem, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma blinked, shaking his head slowly. He leaned down and picked up the notepad, offering it to her again.

"No, no. Everything's fine."

Everything wasn't fine, it never really would be, but he'd learnt to deal with it a long time ago. Sōma took a deep breath, shutting his eyes and turning away from her.

"I'll handle the cooking and busing the orders to the tables. All you need to do is seat customers, take the orders down and bring any used dishes and silverware to the back, along with their tabs, alright?"

Alice nodded at him, heading out to the store front, her stride confident. She'd never played at being a waitress before, but she was an experienced chef and a Nakiri. How hard could it be?

Pretty hard, actually. In what seemed like no time at all, Alice felt like she was drowning in a sea of requests, orders and demands. What did Table 8 order again? Was Table 4 finished already? Did the Yusegawas need a child seat? Was there enough seating for that family of three waiting at the door? How many plates could one single table possibly hold?!

Alice made more than a few mistakes. Which did little to please the customers, who didn't hesitate to make their displeasure known to her, something that both angered and flustered her. She rarely had anyone talk back to her, least of all commoners that ate lunch at a special-of-the-day shop! It was only her desire to remain in Sōma's good graces, along with the nagging thought that their ire was rightly deserved, that held her tongue.

But the clipped, icy demeanor she adopted in response to such treatment wasn't a hit with the customers either, if the commentary she heard as she left the tables was any indication. Irritation started to give way to insecurity, as she realized that, despite the mundanity of her current task, she was in over her head. She, a Nakiri, was being thwarted by dirty dishes and irate customers!

It had taken a spirited talk from Sōma, along with the potent sting from him clapping his hands over hers, before she finally started to get a handle of things. She started adjusting to the flow of the small diner, which was completely different from the restaurants she'd visited before. There was no reservations, customers weren't prepared to wait a half hour. Sōma got dishes out in mere minutes, hot and ready to be eaten then and there. Serving customers as an everyday waitress at a fast paced diner was nothing like serving customers as a high class chef of the cooking world.

She started to grow used to the demand, seating customers and taking orders almost simultaneously with an ease she hadn't had not even an hour ago. She smiled more and more, growing more confident in herself as she bused dirty dishes away just in time for the couple that entered to claim the end table. She happily inquired about their relationship as she noted down their orders, shouting them out to Sōma who acknowledged her request, flipping pans and stirring pots in a familiar rhythm.

Alice maneuvered through the aisles of the diner, deftly stepping around approaching customers while assuring them that she would be back soon to seat them, moving dirty dishes from a table with one hand, while checking and collecting their bill with the other. She settled a dispute over seating between two customers by offering them complimentary bowls of soup with their order. She conveyed a mother's special request for her baby's rice to be cooked extra soft to Sōma with little downtime with a bow and a smile, provoking a laugh from the youngster.

Nakiri Alice was being a waitress. And doing a damn good job, considering it was both her first time doing so AND the lunch rush. And she was having fun, something that surprised her. She'd always been raised to believe that serving customers directly was beneath her. Outside of the highest of gourmet critics and chefs, Nakiris served no one. That was what servants and waiting staff were for. But here Alice was, serving those who, by all rights, were below her and she found that she almost enjoyed it.

As thing started to die down, signaling the end of the lunch rush, Alice noticed a particular gentleman entering the diner and she skipped over, waving.

"Takeda-san, welcome! Thank you so much for your assistance earlier."

She bowed her head respectfully, smiling at the portly grocery store manager who laughed, waving her off.

"It was nothing at all, Nakiri-san. Yukihira and I go way back, after all."

He sat in the chair she pulled out for him, not even looking at his menu as he thought about just what he wanted before something caught his eye.

"Oh, and what's this?"

He looked at Alice, peering at her chest interestedly. Alice blushed, crossing her arms across her body protectively and stepping back.

" _Hentai_." she said heatedly, glaring at the man. Takeda blinked at her confusedly for a second before laughing uproariously.

"No, no. You misunderstand me Nakiri-san. It's just been a while since I've seen that shirt before. Years even."

Alice looked down at the shirt's faded coloring. It being years old would certainly explain its somewhat ragged appearance. Although that didn't explain why he would know this shirt specifically. When Alice said as much, Takeda answered her inquiry with a question.

"Tell me, Nakiri-san. I'm sure you've seen Sōma-kun wear several Yukihira shirts, the boy's almost insufferably proud of them, but have you ever seen Sōma-kun wear one that was this color?"

Alice thought back. Even when Sōma had worn his Yukihira fare more often, she couldn't recall ever seeing him wear a shirt in green. He seemed to just have multiple copies of the same, navy blue. There was an occasional gray (which was probably just a very faded blue) but that was it. Not to mention, this shirt had barely fit her, and Sōma's frame was quite a bit larger than hers.

"I suppose not. I never really questioned it though, I simply assumed that blue was the standard color for the restaurant."

"And you would be right, in a sense. Blue is the standard for male employees of Restaurant Yukihira. Green is the standard for female employees, of which there's only ever been one."

Alice blinked, wondering why the man's voice had suddenly grown almost somber where it'd been so cheerful before.

"Who was she, Takeda-san?"

The man smiled sadly, looking at Alice's shirt with a strange mix of nostalgia and sympathy.

"Yukihira Kumi, Sōma-kun's late mother."

"Sōma-kun's…"

Alice looked at the man before looking over to the back of the restaurant where Sōma stood at the stove, his back turned to her. She'd had no idea she was wearing something so precious to him. She suddenly felt more than a little embarrassed and guilty that she'd insulted it, even if it was only in her mind.

"What happened to her, Takeda-san?" asked Alice imploringly, fingering the frayed hem of the green shirt. Takeda went to respond, but seemed to think better of it.

"I'm not sure that it's my place to tell you, Nakiri-san."

Before Alice could press him further, she saw the sliding door entrance of the restaurant open, admitting more customers. She bid goodbye to Takeda, hastily taking his order, before going over to greet the new arrivals, resolving to herself that she'd make her way back to his table to ask him more questions once she'd settled them in. But Alice underestimated just how unpredictable the flow of customers could really be and, by the time she got an opening to circle back to Takeda's table, the only things there were his used plates and his paid tab, along with a very generous tip.

* * *

"Aren't you nervous at all, Erina-chan?"

"A little bit." admitted Erina.

The two girls were walking towards Tōtsuki's main campus in their chef's uniforms for their first session with the man formerly known as the Asura. He'd told them in advance to reserve their spring breaks for his lessons, if they wanted to get the most out of his assistance. While Megumi had been a bit put out by being unable to go home and visit her family, she knew that it was a small sacrifice to pay for the undivided attention of their talented professor.

"What do you think he'll have us do?" asked Megumi.

Erina put her finger to her chin, wondering. While she admired Joichiro, and had often watched him cook when he was employed with her family, she honestly didn't know what his teaching style would be like. The information laden lectures he gave as part of his DCT course were more suited for a classroom than one-on-one tutoring, and he'd already made it clear that he wasn't planning to emulate that particular teaching style.

"I really can't say, Megumi-chan. Maybe he'll take us step by step through some of his dishes? Or perhaps we'll be the ones cooking and he'll offer us advice?"

"Or maybe he'll just use this time to experiment on us." said Megumi despondently, thinking back to the many times she'd been tricked into sampling Sōma's "unique" dishes. Erina blanched as she thought about some of the horrors she'd heard about from her friend and she rubbed her arms to ward off the sudden chill she felt.

"No, no. Joichiro-sensei wouldn't do that, I'm sure…" said the heiress with more confidence than she actually felt.

"Are you?" asked Megumi, still with the same, morose expression. Erina didn't respond, unable to stop thinking about the possibility now that Megumi had put it out there. Joichiro-sensei knew how important it was that they prepare to face Sōma, didn't he? He wouldn't waste the limited time they had on something so frivolously disgusting, would he?

Erina thought about all she knew about the man, and all she knew about his son, and came to the very unfortunate conclusion that yes, he certainly would do something like that.

And so it was with heavy hearts that, several minutes later, Erina and Megumi entered the school kitchens that were allotted to the Diversity through Cooking and Travel course, their eyes peeled for the slightest hint of squid, peanut butter, honey or any unholy combination of the three. Luckily they didn't see anything of the kind. In fact, they didn't see anything at all, the classroom seemed to be completely deserted.

"Joichiro-sensei?" called out Erina. She stepped inside of the room, looking around but seeing no sign of the older man. Although it seemed like he'd definitely been there before, as the lights were on and ingredients were laid out at two of the cooking stations, along with pots, pans and other utensils.

"It seems Joichiro-sensei left us some instructions." said Megumi, noting the whiteboard that had been rolled to stand in front of the prepped cooking stations. The blue haired girl walked over to it to read the scrawled but precise handwriting.

 _Hey there, Erina-chan and Tadokoro-chan, I'm not big on holding my students' hands, as you've probably figured out by now. I'll be back in an hour or two. If you flip over this white board, you'll see a recipe that Tadokoro should be familiar with. I'd like you both to prepare this dish. Please follow the recipe down to the_ _ **very last detail**_ _. I know that probably seems weird coming from a chef like me, but it's important for what I'm trying to teach you today. Good luck._

At the bottom of the board was a little sketched face that vaguely resembled Joichiro's, with a huge grin and an exaggerated thumbs up bearing fist. Megumi smiled at the little figure, shaking her head at her sensei's silliness before flipping the board. A few cursory glances had her smiling in fond memory.

"This is Joichiro-sensei's Special Rich Ramen! It's a vegetarian dish, but it actually tastes as rich as a meat based ramen bowl. I got to sample it last year when he visited the dormitory to have a cooking duel with Sōma-kun."

At the red head's name, Erina saw a brief flash of something on her friend's face that she was slowly growing familiar with. It seemed to be an odd mix of guilt and anger, an otherwise foreign expression for someone as kind as Tadokoro Megumi. Erina fought down the instinctive reaction to ask what was wrong, knowing that she wouldn't get any answers from the girl.

"How was it?" she asked instead, doing her best to divert her friend's thoughts. Megumi's face brightened as she recalled the dish, holding her cheeks as she could almost feel the rejuvenating effect of the meal from the past.

"It was amazing. I'd just woken up after a rough night, and Isshiki-senpai had just finished working in the fields, so we both needed something to perk us up, and Joichiro-sensei's dish did the trick wonderfully."

"Wait, this was a breakfast dish?" asked Erina, aghast. Ramen for breakfast? It wasn't unheard of, but it certainly wasn't a common occurrence either. It was often considered much too savory to be an appropriate breakfast dish, with a lot of fats and salts that weren't desired by the body so soon after waking up. Breakfast was meant to revitalize you and wake you up, but a dish like ramen could easily have the opposite effect, making you feel heavy and sleepy instead.

But, if Megumi was to be believed, Joichiro's Special Ramen was in another league and Erina found herself both nervous and excited to prepare a dish that her idol had crafted with his own two hands.

"Well, let's get to work then Megumi-chan!" said Erina, smiling as she tied her hair up into a ponytail.

"Hai." said the shorter girl in response, returning Erina's smile as she moved to her station to begin prep work.

The two girls began to cook, following the recipe to the letter as Joichiro had asked. However, they quickly found this to be a fairly difficult endeavor, as the recipe Joichiro had left them was much more detailed and exacting than a recipe usually was, especially for a dish as simple and commonplace as ramen. Where one would expect to see 'add a teaspoon of salt', it would instead tell you to trickle a teaspoon of salt into the broth while stirring at half speed in a counter clockwise motion. Instead of simply saying 'add a cup of soy milk', the recipe asked for a cup of soy milk to be poured in at such a rate that the entire cup was empty after no less than three seconds but no more than four.

It was exhausting and more than a few mistakes were made, which caused them to have to start over as the recipe had several parts to it that were labeled "Critical Error - If this step is done incorrectly by either of you, then both of you must start from the beginning. I will know if you haven't! No pressure though!" along with another miniature smiling caricature of Joichiro's face done in dry erase marker.

But finally, after a total of seven critical errors (five by Megumi and two by Erina), the two chefs finished, plating two identical bowls of vegetarian ramen at exactly the same time on the marked areas on Joichiro's desk that had been indicated at the end of the recipe.

Erina wiped her forehead, exhaling in relief as Megumi moaned, thankful that they'd finally succeeded. They looked at each other with relieved smiles, finally beginning to relax before, without warning, a voice boomed through the air, causing both girls to shriek, their nerves shot after what had to have been the most tensely prepared bowl of ramen in history.

"Ah, good work you two! You caught on pretty quick, as expected of two of the front runners of the Jewels Generation. Although that twelfth step can certainly be tricky, ai Tadokoro-chan?"

Megumi didn't respond, reduced to shivering as she held herself, mumbling about soy milk dashi and temperature gradients. Erina was just barely better, looking around wildly for the source of the voice.

"Joichiro-sensei, is that you?"

"Who else, Erina-chan?"

Erina did another full circle, looking around at each and every corner of the room but finding no trace of the man. It didn't help that his voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.

"Where are you?" Erina asked, as she bent down to check on Megumi who'd sunk to the floor, holding her knees as she muttered about the difference between a pinch and a dash. Joichiro didn't respond, but Erina begun to hear a clattering nose, which only served to confuse her.

"INCOMING!"

Erina looked up, and saw a pair of feet emerge from a shifted roof tile, quickly followed by legs, a torso and the rest of Yukihira Joichiro's body as he leapt, landing with grace in the front of them, so close that they felt the wind generated from the impact of his body hitting the floor.

Erina's face was one of consternation as she looked in shock at the crouched figure of her teacher. He stood up, dusting off his pants and laughing.

"Ah, I haven't gotten a chance to play in the ceiling space since my time at Polar Star. That was fun."

Erina struggled to find words before her brain decided to give up the struggle and simply surrender to the situation, hanging her head as the shock became too much and she joined Megumi in being barely conscious. Joichiro looked at the two shell shocked girls in front of him, smiling sheepishly as he scratched his cheek.

"…was my entrance too much?"

* * *

After they'd been roused, both of the students stood before Joichiro's desk, their bowls of ramen in front of them. Joichiro looked down at their work, poking at each bowl experimentally and smelling the aroma that wafted forth as a result of his stimulation.

"It seems you both followed my instructions as perfectly as you could manage. That's good, very good."

He sampled Erina's dish, nodding as he chewed. He took a second bite, grabbing a bit of the tempeh at the center and winding noodles around it before putting it into his mouth and giving it the same treatment as the first bite. He grinned widely at the blonde, making her blush and look away from his approving gaze.

"This would seem to be the first of your dishes that I've ever eaten, right Erina-chan?"

Erina nodded, trying and failing to hide her hopeful expression. Even in class, Joichiro had never sampled her cooking, instead having a rotating panel of students taste the classes' dishes. He claimed it promoted diversity, as they would get a wider net of feedback from multiple mouths and palates which was a much more valuable perspective than his singular opinion, no matter how skilled or worldly said opinion may be.

"I promised you that I would eat your dishes once you became a great chef, didn't I?"

"You remembered?" blurted Erina, her face growing redder as she remembered the childish demand she'd levered onto Joichiro before he'd left their family's employ. Joichiro grinned at her.

"Do you remember why you made me make that promise?"

Erina thought back, recalling the memories from that time easily, even though it had been several years since.

"It's because you always refused the dishes I tried to get you to taste, because you said that I wasn't good enough to try and cook for you yet."

"To be specific, I said you weren't a great chef. And that I wouldn't eat anything you made until you became one."

Erina wanted to ask if she was one now, but a combination of insecurity and nerves held her back. She was only a freshman, she wasn't even on the Elite Ten anymore. There was no way he would consider her a great chef. But she still wanted to ask, the question was clear on her face.

"Is she a great chef now then, Joichiro-sensei?"

The question had come from Megumi, who took the initiative to say what Erina wouldn't, although she wasn't sure if she was trying to be helpful or harmful, as she could hear a small, spiteful part of her hoping that the man said no.

"Megumi-chan!" cried Erina, her face growing even redder as it began to resemble a tomato more and more. She turned to Joichiro, who was tasting Megumi's dish, eyes sparkling with mirth as he observed the both of them.

After a few bites of Megumi's ramen, he placed his chopsticks down, offering new pairs to both of the students.

"Now, I'd like you to go ahead and try them both, you two." he said, leaving Megumi's question unanswered for the time being, walking over to the large pots of broth they'd left simmering, per his instructions. Erina watched him walk, clearly wanting to badger him for his answer, but restraining herself out of respect as she followed after him.

Joichiro pulled two bowls from a drawer, filling them with ramen from the pots before handing them to his students.

The two girls sampled their own ramen dishes, letting the light, mellow flavors flow through them as they felt their skin tightening and their pores open as each drop of the soup went to work throughout their bodies, rejuvenating each and every cell. They sighed in contentment as they felt the buzz of refreshing energy flowing through their newly youthful bodies.

"Now, you both followed my recipe to the letter. So, in theory, they should taste the same, right?"

For most dishes, that wouldn't be the case, as there was a large amount of flex in almost any given recipe. But with the exacting, meticulous instructions presented by Joichiro coupled with the skills of the two students in question, it was entirely possible that both bowls would have an identical flavor this time.

Joichiro filled the bowls again, his movements deft as he placed them on the table, swapping them back and forth in an almost dizzying display that came perilously close to spilling broth everywhere. After a few revolutions of this, he held a bowl out to Megumi.

"Tadokoro-chan, would you try and tell me whose ramen this is?"

Megumi took the proffered bowl, looking down at the contents. Joichiro had moved so swiftly that she wasn't certain which pot he'd used to fill the bowl she held. She sniffed at the gently wafting steam but was unable to come to any firm conclusion from the smell alone. She dipped her chopsticks into the bowl, bringing a bite to her mouth and chomping down on it.

Instantly she was hit by the fresh, light taste of the vegetarian broth, coupled with the richness of the milk and tempeh added. It flowed over her once again, invigorating her past her limits, making her feel like she could take on the world and still have energy to spare afterwards.

While she was under no impression that the ramen she'd cooked was as good as the dish Joichiro had made for her in the past, it still amazed her that she was able to cook a dish of this caliber, even considering the detail with which Joichiro had mapped out the ramen dish. She felt a warm buzz of pride that her efforts at Tōtsuki hadn't been for naught. She'd really progressed.

That's when Megumi noticed.

"This…this is my dish." she said in surprise. She couldn't pinpoint just what exactly it was about the food that made her so certain, but she was one hundred and ten percent certain that the ramen in her bowl was from the pot she'd made. She'd bet her life on it.

"Indeed, that is your ramen, Tadokoro-chan. Now, for the sake of contrast, why don't you try Erina-chan's?"

Megumi took the offered bowl, sampling the new helping. She was hit by the familiar feeling of rejuvenated morning and rich flavoring, but now, she noticed a distinct difference in what she was eating. It wasn't so much that the ramen she was eating was any better or worse than her own, it was simply different.

Somehow, someway Megumi could almost literally taste her friend's cooking talent in the noodles and broth. It felt like Erina's very essence as a chef had subtly permeated the dish, almost down to its roots, and the only reason Megumi could even notice such a thing was because she had her own, nigh identical dish to compare it to. Without the contrast, she doubted she would've even noticed something so bizarre.

"What is this, Joichiro-sensei?" asked Megumi in wonder, looking down as if she held a crystal ball rather than a bowl of noodles. Joichiro merely put one finger to his lips, winking conspiratorially.

"Let's not jump the gun here, Tadokoro-chan. We wouldn't want to leave Erina out of the conversation. I'm sure she'll have something interesting to contribute."

He offered the aforementioned blonde two newly filled bowls and she sampled each of them, her tongue going to work as she focused on the flavor of each dish. After a few seconds, she tapped the bowl on her left.

"This ramen is mine, and the other is Megumi-chan's."

Joichiro nodded, not at all surprised.

"And what's the difference, Erina-chan? You each followed the recipe perfectly, down to the last grain of salt. Why would these bowls of ramen be distinguishable at all? What does your tongue tell you?"

Erina took another bite from her own bowl, slowly working each chew over her God's Tongue. She focused on the feedback she was getting from it, muttering criticisms to herself.

"Heat was improperly implied by at least twenty degrees…soy milk was added in too high a quantity, unbalancing the dashi…tempeh isn't as tender as needed."

She moved to Megumi's bowl, taking a bite from it and giving it much the same treatment. She analyzed the feeling and found, to her surprise, that it was exactly the reading she'd gotten from her own dish, down to the very degree. The unbalanced temperature, the slightly stiff tempeh, the overabundance of soy milk, it was all identical to the issues she'd identified within her own ramen. Her precious tongue, lauded as divine in its own right, couldn't tell her the difference between the two bowls!

"But that's impossible…" Erina said, staring at the two bowls in shock and a touch of fear. In her sixteen years of life on this earth, her tongue had never let her down, not once. Never had she been unable to truly taste the individuality of a dish.

Terunori Kuga, the former eighth seat of the Elite Ten Council, was known for his obsessively exact training of his RS subordinates, to the point where the dishes they made were indistinguishable from his own cooking. Yet, in a challenge that had cost Kuga a quarter of his budget, Erina's tongue had proven more than capable of picking out exactly which dish was his from a selection of twenty others that were made by his soldiers.

But here she was, her legendary tongue thwarted by two simple bowls of vegetable noodles.

"I'm guessing you're wondering why your God's Tongue is having trouble differentiating between the two, even though you know exactly which one is yours?"

Erina looked at Joichiro, still confused. He was right. She'd easily picked out her own dish between the two without thinking twice on her first tasting, even though her tongue couldn't tell the difference. Which only made it all the more baffling.

"What is this, Joichiro-sensei?" Erina asked, in a direct mirror to Megumi, albeit with more fear than wonder.

Joichiro gestured for them both to sit down on the stools, moving over to the white board. He flipped it back over and began erasing his welcome message.

"Do either of you know just what Yukihira cooking is?" he asked conversationally.

Erina blinked, the seeming non sequitur throwing her off.

"Um…that's the cooking style that you and Sōma use, correct?" she asked hesitantly.

Joichiro shook his head, continuing to wipe at the whiteboard, ensuring it was free of all marks.

"Not exactly. While we both use **A** Yukihira cooking style, Sōma and I don't use the same style at all. Simply because that would be impossible."

Joichiro looked at the whiteboard, admiring its pristine surface for a second before pulling a marker from his pocket and uncapping it.

"That which enables you to tell the difference between virtually identical bowls of ramen forms the very basis of what Yukihira cooking is all about. That undefinable thing that alerted you to the difference yet was undetectable by Erina-chan's God's Tongue is something I call the _Chef's Soul_. Usually, there's so much else that contributes to a dish's flavor that this particular little detail is lost in the noise of all the other, much larger ones. Even in the case of dishes that should be identical, there are still usually enough variations for the Chef's Soul to be completely drowned out by the other aspects of the food."

Joichiro drew two little bowls, drawing a tiny version of Erina's face under one and Megumi's under another.

"Once a chef becomes sufficiently skilled, then his, or her, true worth starts to be reflected in their cooking. Usually in minute amounts that no one without a truly ridiculous amount of culinary acumen could even notice. But Yukihira cooking is all about drawing out that unnoticeable quantity and forming it into something truly potent. It's about aligning each and every movement you make into the kitchen with your very soul as a chef, allowing you to reach new heights in your cooking by literally putting your self into your cooking."

Joichiro drew other pictures in besides their own, of plates and bowls bearing various faces that they recognized from their class.

"However, as I'm sure you can imagine, every chef's soul is distinct. In much the same way that a single snowflake is completely different than the billions of others in a blizzard. Meaning that it is up to each individual Yukihira chef to constantly test and create dishes with their own two hands, so as to find the methods that work best for their own Soul. As a result, the Yukihira cooking style is one of constant, aggressive evolution."

Joichiro drew lines around the pictures he'd drawn, before drawing other dishes with other faces along the sides and drawing further lines around them, creating a straight line of rectangles. He drew on top of the straight formation, stacking them on top of one another.

"You build on each and every success and failure, incorporating the aspects of each and every maneuver you make in the kitchen that works for your chef's soul and discarding those that oppose it. It can be a truly grueling process. You could fail a hundred times while only having a slightly better way to pour salt to show for it. However, in turn, you can also find great success. I once created three entirely new dishes for Restaurant Yukihira's secret menu simply because of what I learnt by combining sardines and strawberry jam in a truly disgusting appetizer."

Joichiro's face seemed to tint slightly green, even as he smiled at the memory.

"Boy, that was the grossest thing I've come up with yet. Sōma's been trying to top it for years."

"Wait, you mean there's a purpose to all of those disgusting things Sōma used to create?" asked Megumi in surprise. She'd always assumed it was just an odd quirk of her friend's, especially once she'd met his father. She didn't think there was an actual use for it.

"Yup. Although I must admit, testing them on others is just something we do for fun. It gets tiring wasting all of your awesomely disgusting creations on yourself!"

Megumi hung her head. Of course it would be something like that.

"So Joichiro-sensei." said Erina, trying to steer them back on course. She was looking at the complete pyramid of blocks Joichiro had drawn, each block containing a different dish or ingredient or even utensil. "Yukihira cooking is all about failing?"

Joichiro shook his head.

"Yukihira cooking is about learning. Whether you succeed, fail or even just do nothing, you must learn from it. It's about aspiring to attune your every movement in the kitchen to your very essence as a chef to create something truly amazing."

Megumi gasped as she looked at the representative pyramid of cooking Joichiro had drawn. When he put it that way, it really seemed like Yukihira cooking was on a completely different level. She truly felt like she was starting to understand just how Sōma did some of the awe inspiring things he'd done during their time at Tōtsuki.

"That sounds amazing." she admitted, tracing the interconnected lines.

"I'm sure it does, but can either of you spot the drawback of such a style of cooking?" asked Joichiro, folding his arms.

Megumi put her finger to her chin, thinking, but it was Erina who spoke first.

"Well, the amount of wasted resources seems like it would be rather high." pointed out Erina. Even if one ignored the amount of money that could be potentially lost, there was an even more staggering amount of time at stake. Even standard cooking required a heavy time commitment, as dishes could take hours, if not entire days, of preparation. To do all that, only to risk getting nothing out of it? It was almost unthinkable.

Joichiro nodded in response.

"That's definitely a factor. The amount of resources needed can be truly intimidating. I wasted quite a bit of my budget when I was on the Elite Ten pursuing things that turned out to be dead ends. But there's an even more glaring weakness. Which comes hand in hand with the style's greatest strength."

Seeing that neither of the girls seemed to grasp what he was saying, Joichiro took to the board again.

"I'll use a metaphor to explain it. Have either of you ever taken any martial arts?"

"I did a small bit of kendo in middle school." admitted Megumi, which surprised Erina. She hadn't known that particular fact about her friend.

"Alright, and you learnt forms in kendo correct?" asked Joichiro, drawing out a few stick figures with stick swords in a variety of positions. "However, I'm sure you can attest to this Tadokoro-chan, you can't just stand there and mechanically move through forms in a fight. It's more fluid than that. But the forms fill a very important role, I'm sure your instructors mentioned what it was."

"The forms are the basis of your fighting abilities…" said Megumi slowly, her mind working as she tried to understand just what Joichiro was implying. "They've been designed and honed over the years by other practitioners of the style to work and flow with one another. So each and every individual student isn't forced to figure out how to place their feet and hold their shinai to block a vertical strike on their own. It's a form that can be taught, that has been created by the skilled input of hundreds of kendo wielders over the years. And it works with other forms, forming the basis of an entire fighting style in this way."

Megumi thumped her fist into her hand, as she was hit by an epiphany.

"Yukihira cooking's greatest weakness is its individuality! Whereas other styles have been developed and passed down within cultures, societies or even families, Yukihira places that burden on the individual. You can't know what works and what doesn't unless you try it yourself or try to borrow something from an established cooking method."

"And even then, there's no guarantee that whatever you attempt to imitate will flow well with what you've already developed!" said Erina, catching on to what her friend was saying. Just as with fighting styles, cooking disciplines had been developed over the years in a myriad of ways. They've grown better and better over time, their strengths and weaknesses firmly established, known quantities that can be accounted for. Yukihira cooking had none of these, making it an ultimately dangerous style of cooking that could backfire more often than not on someone who didn't have the expertise to properly utilize it.

"Exactly." Joichiro proclaimed solemnly, his eyes serious. "Yukihira cooking is entirely based around the cook himself. It's why I said that Sōma and I have completely different styles. Not to mention I have a talent that helps me cheat at it a bit."

"What do you mean, Joichiro-sensei?" asked Megumi curiously. What kind of skill could help with something like this?

Joichiro shrugged casually.

"I have an eidetic memory." he said simply, as if he was commenting on the weather.

"An eidetic memory?" asked Megumi, confused at the word. It sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place where she'd heard the term before.

"It's more often called photographic memory. I have perfect recall." he said succinctly, capping the marker. Both girls looked at him, before looking back at each other and then looking at him again. Yukihira Joichiro, the stray cat who barely remembered to give Sōma his living expenses had photographic memory?

"Joichiro-sensei, what exactly do you mean?" asked Erina, more than a little doubtful.

"Just what it sounds like, Erina-chan. I can remember anything I've ever experienced with perfect clarity."

"But Joichiro-sensei, I distinctly remember you showing up late for class more than a few times because you lost track of time or left something you needed at home." said Megumi, now even more confused.

Joichiro let out a long suffering sigh, scratching at the back of his head.

"Perfect recall doesn't mean I'm thinking of everything I've ever seen all the time, Tadokoro-chan. It's kind of like…imagine there's a library in your head, and memories are books. The information's all there and, if someone asks you a question, you can reference the library and find an answer, but you're not nose deep in all of those books all of the time. Especially if you're busy perusing through other books to pass the time. Making it more than easy to forget things like an appointment or your keys."

"So is that why all of your lectures are so detailed?" asked Erina, eyes wide as she thought about the implications of being able to perfectly recall everything she'd ever learnt. But then she was hit by the chilling thought that it meant she'd recall every single detail of the childhood trauma she'd undergone, and was suddenly more than content with not having that particular skill.

"Probably? It's just the best way to learn in my opinion. Besides, it's not like I put down THAT much information. It's light stuff, mostly."

Joichiro either didn't notice or didn't care about the incredulous stares both of his students were giving him.

"Anyway. That's beside the point. The point of today's lesson was to help highlight your inner natures, the thing that defines you as a chef, the very Soul of your cooking. Now that you've seen it and noticed it, aligning yourselves to it should be easier in the future."

"Are you suggesting that we become Yukihira chefs, sensei?" asked Erina with some trepidation. Joichiro laughed, ruffling her hair the way he used to when she was younger, causing her to blush.

"No way, Erina-chan! There's no time for that, not right now anyway. We're going to just be working with the styles you two already use, and focusing on bringing as much of your selves into your current cooking as possible. It's something you already do unconsciously, but I'm looking to strengthen the influence you have on what you prepare in the kitchen even further. That's what the next two weeks are going to be about, if you're both willing and ready to put in the work."

Erina pondered what Joichiro was saying. Even though this was a newly introduced concept, she could already see the potential of such a thing. A chef's individuality was one of the biggest factors in deciding between dishes at the high level of cooking that Totsuki demanded. That was what had been the deciding factor in Hayama's victory at the Autumn Elections, after all.

If Joichiro was right, and they could learn to directly harness this Chef's Soul that he spoke of, she could only imagine how far they could go.

"We're more than ready Joichiro-sensei. Right, Megumi-chan?"

Erina looked over at the girl, who was still looking at the pyramid Joichiro had drawn, tracing her finger around a familiar looking face near the top of it.

"We'll do whatever it takes." said Megumi quietly but passionately. She looked back at Erina, her eyes bright with resolve and determination. Erina returned her look, smiling haughtily as she crossed her arms.

Sōma wouldn't know what hit him.

* * *

 **A/N: Here's chapter 10! Officially in the double digits now. Alice does some grunt work while our favorite duo starts to learn about the mysterious Chef's Soul. I had more to add into this, but the chapter would've been way too long so I've decided to split things up a bit. We'll have to catch up with Sōma and Alice next chapter! You can also expect a bit of insight into just what Ryo thinks about the situation as well, I promise. Now, for some added fun, I have a contest for you all:**

 **Among the current Totsuki cast, two of the characters you've met have had sex with each other at some point behind the scenes in the story (which means it happened anywhere between Sōma punching Azami and the chapter above!) The characters in question are both currently students of Totsuki, a boy and a girl.**

 **The first person to guess correctly will be notified of their correct guess via PM by myself (I won't reveal the winner publicly until further down the line, as I plan to keep that particular event a secret in story for now!), and, as a prize to him/her, I will write a standalone Shokugeki lemon oneshot of at least 2,500 words in length between any two characters you choose. This contest ends once chapter 11 is posted, whenever that may be.**

 **You can only guess once per review, although nothing says you can't ask a friend to submit a review on your behalf if you have another guess. Feel free to tack on your guess at the end or beginning of a normal review you would leave, that's totally fine! I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter, and happy guessing!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: So last chapter's contest has been won! I shall not tell you who the winning user was, but I will tell you all that he requested the pairing for the lemon prize to be Sōma/Rindō. Hopefully I can get that out in the next two weeks or so, we'll just have to see how life goes. I hope you all enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The ride back to Tōtsuki from Yukihira's was even quieter than the ride there. The diner had been busy straight up until closing, a fact that had both Sōma and Alice tiredly resting against the leather of the backseat. Ryo was nowhere to be seen, and Manatabe informed them that he'd already dropped the boy back to school a few short hours ago. It seemed he'd finished his errands much earlier than they had gotten done at the shop.

Alice was looking out of the window, her mind far away as she fingered the hem of the frayed, green shirt she still wore. She'd tried to return it to Sōma once the last of the customers had left, but he'd simply said that she should hold onto it, as they'd be returning tomorrow to open up again.

Something she found herself more than okay with, to her surprise. As annoyed as she'd been at the onset, she'd grown used to the bustle of being a waitress at Restaurant Yukihira. It had been…fun. Hard and exhausting and demanding for certain, but an enjoyable experience overall. If you'd asked her before today, she would've told you that serving customers and busing tables was beneath her, and a generally unthinkable thing for someone with her pedigree to do.

But now…she was comfortable with the idea. Oh, she would never go and actually apply to be a waitress, but she could easily see herself running her dishes out to her waiting customers at her own restaurant in the future. The honest happiness and gratitude on their faces made her feel warm in a way she wasn't accustomed to. It was nothing like the prideful feeling of success she got when serving one of her creations, dishes to be sampled at a conference or a cooking duel. It was different. Not any better or worse, simply different.

"I'm surprised, Alice."

She blinked, turning to face Sōma who still bore the relaxed expression he'd been wearing sine they'd left Tōtsuki's campus. He was looking at her with what seemed to be approval, although for what, she wasn't certain.

"What makes you say that, Sōma-kun?" she asked.

"It's just that I expected you to be bombarding me with questions and complaints by now."

"Are you trying to say I'm difficult, Sōma-kun?" she asked lightly as she glared playfully in his direction.

Sōma smiled. He didn't quirk his lips or slightly raise his eyebrows. He smiled. His lips rose and parted, revealing white teeth. His eyes lit up in a show of joy that Alice was unused to him displaying when he was still bound by the metal links he wore around his wrist.

"You were very patient with me and the customers today Alice. Thank you." he said sincerely, reaching over and resting his hand on her shoulder.

"W-well…that is, I…I just…"

Alice felt her face heat up as she looked down, toying with her fingers as she struggled to find something to say, stammering. All of her usual confidence had fled at the sight of such honest emotion from the boy, leaving her to helplessly blush and stutter. Sōma also seemed as surprised by his own actions as she was, retracting his hand with a blush dusting his cheeks as he cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to regain his composure.

After a few awkward minutes, Sōma spoke up, his voice back to its usual, flat tenor.

"So, I believe I owe you an explanation for today's events, correct?"

Alice nodded, trying to force her embarrassment to the back of her mind as she realized she still had no idea why he'd brought her to assist him at his diner.

"Do you remember our match in the Autumn elections? More specifically, do you remember what Senzaemon-sama said about your dish?"

Alice thought back to the event, ignoring the small sting she still felt from her loss.

"He said that my dish was lacking the fun and novelty of a true bento box. That…I'd simply adapted my techniques to the dish, instead of truly thinking about what building a bento box entailed."

Sōma nodded, pulling a piece of paper from the folder he'd left in the car and handing it to her. Alice looked it over and found that it was an evaluation form from their match, signed and penned by her grandfather, along with the other quarter final judges. It went into further detail, highlighting technical nuances that would've been otherwise out of place in the more crowd friendly verbal announcement the Demon King of Food had given.

Sōma pointed to a note he'd highlighted, near the bottom of the sheet. Alice read it out loud, curiously.

"The jewelry box presented by the contestant felt cold and distant in a manner that had nothing to do with its temperature. A high quality dish more suited to being on display than being eaten by a customer."

"I did my research on you, Alice." said Sōma, causing her to look away from the paper. He wore a guarded expression as he stared out the window at the foliage that was starting to crop up, a sign that they were nearing the expansive school grounds. "You've done some amazing things in the field of molecular gastronomy, and your skill as a chef is undeniable, but there's a constant theme in the feedback you receive, be it positive or negative."

"You're called the Heaven sent Child of Molecular Gastronomy for a reason. Often, your dishes are otherworldly in a way that makes people feel disconnected from them. They're beautiful and magnificent, but they lack a human connection."

Alice thought back to things she'd heard over the years about her cooking. Things that had simply seemed like glowing praise now took an entirely different context.

 _I feel like I'm not even worthy of tasting something so amazing!_

 _This dish has such an untouchable appeal!_

 _Why am I brought so low by such a simple dish? I'm but a lowly servant before your cooking, Nakiri-sama!_

"Your cooking lacks connection with others. You've spent years in labs perfecting your craft, relying on precise measurements and machine given ratings and it shows. That's why I brought you to Restaurant Yukihira."

"To connect with others?" she asked thoughtfully, tilting her head at him, her bang swaying.

"Not just others. With customers, so called "commoners" that you would never encounter otherwise. Today, you served men and women that you wouldn't have even given the time of day before. You interacted with customers, _real_ customers. Not staff members or shokugeki judges. Average men and women simply looking for a meal and good service. I don't think you've ever done anything quite like that."

Sōma looked out at the gates of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy as they grew closer and closer. He breathed in, his shoulders drawing back up as he withdrew into himself, his expression emptying itself of all carelessness. Alice saw the last remnants of ease fade from his visage, leaving it cold and distant once again. He looked back at her, his eyes a familiar, cool gold.

"Today, you started to learn something, something valuable. Something that Nakiri Azami, even with all of his years of experience in cooking and business, can't fathom."

The car started to move slower as the Nakiri mansion gates grew visible in the distance.

"At its core, the true face of the culinary world is the customer. The hungry people that come forward to buy the food that we, as chefs, create for them. Without the common man, there IS no culinary world. Which is why it's important that the food you cook be relatable to them."

"Are you saying that high class, gourmet cuisine has no value then?" Alice asked tentatively, a bit perturbed at the conclusion Sōma seemed to be steering towards. Thankfully he shook his head.

"No. That's not what I mean. It's just that high class, gourmet cuisine is but one facet of the complicated jewel that is the cooking world. Just as there are many kinds of people, so too should there be just as many dimensions to your cooking. You have to match the dish to the consumer. And to do that, you need to understand them. And to understand them, you need to connect with them. On a personal level. Something you haven't needed to do before."

Alice frowned at his implication, pouting at Sōma. It wouldn't have affected her so much if she didn't also feel like there was a grain of truth to what he was saying. But still, he could've been nicer with his criticism.

Sōma grunted, looking over at her in surprise as he rubbed at the shoulder she'd just punched. Alice didn't acknowledge his look, folding her arms and staring petulantly out of the window.

"Did…did I say something to offend you?" asked Sōma cautiously, looking over at the girl who seemed determined to look at anything but him. He knew that he wasn't the best with people, not as he was now, but he'd assumed that what he'd said had been the best way to present his case. He'd done the research, looking into Alice's background and achievements (which made him feel uncomfortable for a reason he couldn't decipher; he'd had no qualms about researching his other allies). And then he'd stated it as plainly as he could, in a way that wasn't too insulting or too sugarcoated. Hadn't he?

"Yes." said Alice simply, still refusing to meet his eyes as she stared pointedly out at the passing forest scenery.

"Ah…may I ask what it was?" said Sōma, more than a little confused at her reaction.

"No, you may not." said Alice, her tone still clipped.

Sōma looked at the girl, still wondering just what he'd done. After a few seconds of tense silence, Alice looked at him.

"Well, aren't you going to apologize?" she asked.

Sōma didn't say anything, feeling even more confused at the red eyed girl's accusatory tone. He simply stared back, his face blank.

He hissed again as Alice's hand lashed out, hitting him in his other shoulder this time.

"What was that for?" he asked incredulously, staring into Alice's angry eyes.

"Because I'm mad. And I like hitting things when I'm mad. And since Ryo-kun isn't here, you'll have to do."

Sōma stared at the girl, his calm countenance swapped for one of complete confusion. Alice rolled her eyes at him, sighing as if she was dealing with a child.

"I'm mad at you because I'm annoyed with you for pointing out flaws in my work. Flaws that I didn't notice. It's a little embarrassing for me…" she snapped, fighting the blush that was trying to work its way up her cheeks at the admission.

"But you can't notice everything, shouldn't you be happy that you now know what to improve on?" Sōma asked.

"That's not the point, Sōma-kun…" she said, embarrassment now accompanied by irritation at the boy's lack of understanding.

"Then what is?"

All that inquiry bought Sōma was a frustrated glare, a third punch to the shoulder and angry silence for the remainder of the ride back to the mansion.

* * *

Ryo stood in his room, looking out of the window, lost in thought. He noticed the black car pulling into the driveway before stopping, his mistress exiting in what seemed to be a huff, if her body language was anything to go by. Sōma followed soon after, his demeanor unchanged as he exchanged some words with the driver before heading inside himself.

Ryo watched the other boy walk inside, his thoughts conflicted. He knew that Alice was allied with the Yukihira boy, for some reason she refused to divulge, and he normally wouldn't have minded either way. Politics weren't his thing, he much preferred to let Alice make those decisions and he would deal with the fallout of her choices if need be. But the implications of just what Sōma was involved with had him…concerned.

He'd been more than skeptical when the boy had met with him that morning and told him that he wanted him to go to a separate location from him and Alice for the day. He didn't often leave Alice alone, especially with someone he didn't fully trust. But Sōma had been persuasive and had tempted him with an offer that he was loath to let slip by him.

"Ryo-kun, hello!"

Ryo turned to face his boisterous master, a bit surprised to find her in a green sweatshirt that he didn't recognize. It had stains in a few places and looked more than a little threadbare, though the Restaurant Yukihira branding was still a bright white on it.

"Welcome back, ojou." he said in his usual, lackadaisical tone.

"And just where were you today? I should punish you for running off without letting your master know your whereabouts."

Ryo rolled his eyes, completely unfazed by the threat.

"Shino's Tokyo." he supplied simply.

Alice tilted her head at him, eyes curious.

"Shino's Tokyo? I don't believe I've heard of that restaurant before. What were you doing there?"

Ryo scratched the back of his head, wondering if he could avoid telling his mistress just what he'd been up to. Her reaction was bound to be more than a little annoying.

"Working." he said vaguely, hoping she would be satisfied and move on. Unfortunately, she seemed more than a little curious and prodded him, urging him to give her details. He sighed, preparing himself for the explosion.

"It's a French restaurant. Yukihira called in a favor with Shinomiya-senpai and he closed down the restaurant for the day to give me and Hayama a few tips."

Alice blinked, nonplussed. Shinomiya-senpai…as in Shinomiya Kojiro? A former first seat of the Elite Ten and the first Japanese man to have ever won the _Pluspol_ award in Paris? THAT Shinomiya-senpai? The realization jogged Alice's memory and she remembered, somewhat vaguely, hearing about him opening a new restaurant in Tokyo months ago, with Yukihira Sōma playing a role in its debut during his Stagiaire.

Ryo watched his mistress put together the pieces, her expression only growing more incredulous as she realized the implications of such a thing. Chefs didn't just shut down their newly opened restaurants for the day as a "favor". Especially chefs like Shinomiya Kojiro.

"So wait, Ryo-kun…" said Alice as another thought occurred to her, her shock fading in response to it. "Are you saying that you've spent the day being taught by a first seat level Tōtsuki alumnus? An award winning, world renowned alumnus at that?"

Ryo sighed, ready for the storm.

"Basically."

"Ah, I see…Excuse me, Ryo-kun."

Alice smiled sweetly, nodding at Ryo before turning around. Ryo blinked, taken aback as he watched Alice exit his room. He'd expected a much more volatile reaction from the girl. After all, she'd been stuck waitressing at a local diner while he'd been personally tutored by a world class chef. Rightfully, she should've been much angrier with…Oh.

Ryo walked out of his room and towards the stairs, almost able to feel a timer tick down in the back of his mind. As he reached the banister and looked down at Alice approaching an unaware Yukihira Sōma who stood in the foyer, observing a painting of a blonde woman in a yellow dress, that timer hit zero.

"YUKIHIRA SŌMA!"

Ryo chucked to himself as the boy jumped, turning to meet Alice with slightly widened eyes as she continued yelling.

"So you have me stuck in some backwater shopping district while Ryo's off getting elite training?!"

She grabbed his collar, shaking him petulantly as he struggled to maintain his footing, his calm expression taking on a look of exasperation. He looked up at where Ryo watched the scene, his maroon eyes amused. The taller boy shrugged, helplessly.

"I did warn you, Yukihira." he said, his words lost to the distance but his actions conveying the message clearly. As he watched Alice shake Sōma, her actions violent but lacking any real heat, he caught himself smiling, just a bit. Silly as it may seem, he knew that exaggerated violence was one of the ways Alice showed her affection for someone, although he'd been the only recipient of it for years on end.

Which made him think of just what his mistress' actions suggested and he frowned, his amusement leaving him as he remembered the phone call that Alice had with her mother earlier that morning. He was more than a little concerned about Alice's supposed feelings for the other chef. He knew his mistress, he knew her well, and he'd never seen her quite this way before. For all her bluster, he could see the subtle signs that Sōma probably didn't even notice.

The way she looked at the other boy, the way she didn't try to meet his eyes for fear he'd realize what she was thinking, the way she blushed more often than not in response to some of her thoughts when in his presence. She liked Yukihira, more than she probably even knew, he was sure of that. He just didn't know if it was a good idea for her to feel that way.

It wasn't out of jealousy or anything of the sort. While it may have been expected by those around them, neither Alice nor Ryo had ever felt any sort of romantic inclinations towards the other. Their relationship had always been a bit more complex than that, somewhere in between best friends and siblings, with a splash of the master/servant dynamic Alice liked to tease him with.

And, as the older, wiser to the ways of the world brother, Ryo would be damned before he let her be with someone he didn't approve of. Especially considering the duty her father had entrusted to him, before they'd left Denmark for Tōtsuki all those years ago.

 _I leave it to you to ensure that, when the time comes, Alice chooses a man worthy of both her and her station. I am placing my trust in your judgement by leaving you to do this in my stead. Do not fail me, Kurokiba Ryo._

The man had been more of a father to him than his own had ever been. And he had no intention of letting him down. And, while he trusted Sōma enough to leave Alice in his company for the day, that certainly didn't mean he trusted him enough to let his mistress make the mistake of giving him her heart. Not yet, anyway. He'd have to earn Ryo's approval, one way or the other, before he felt comfortable leaving Alice to her whims.

* * *

It wasn't until the end of the first week of spring break that Alice saw Takeda again. He'd come in near the end of the lunch rush, as he had before, and sat at a table near the front of the restaurant. Alice bustled over, welcoming him with a smile as she took his order down.

"So how's your time here been, Nakiri-san?" he asked genially.

"It's actually been a very interesting experience, Takeda-san." said Alice. "Sōma-kun! I need a #13 with chilled tea for Takeda-san!"

"I'm happy to hear it. I've been telling Yukihira for years that the diner could do with some female energy again. You're doing a wonderful job."

Alice waved his praise away, although her grin showed that it was well received.

"Thank you. It's actually been sort of fun. I'm not very used to dealing with things on this side of the counter."

"Is that right?"

Alice nodded, looking around with a now well-practiced eye to see if anyone needed assistance. No new customers had entered, and the few left in the diner were still engrossed in their meals, so she knew she had a few minutes to converse.

"I'm a chef, you see. I attend Tōtsuki Culinary Academy with Sōma-kun."

Takeda's gray eyes lit up.

"Oh, really now? That's interesting. Since that's the case, do you and Sōma swap kitchen duties every now and then?"

Alice shook her head, pouting a bit at the unfortunate reminder. She'd asked Sōma whether she could try her hand in the kitchen but Sōma had been adamantly against the notion. He claimed that it was to maximize the time she spent connecting with the customers, but she thought he just didn't have faith in her skills being good enough for his restaurant. A ridiculous notion, really.

"Sōma-kun's a bit hesitant to let me into his space." was all she said.

"That doesn't surprise me at all. Yukihiras can be very particular about that sort of thing. You should've seen how long it took Kumi to allow Joichiro into the kitchen."

"Really?" asked Alice, amazed. While she didn't know much about Sōma's father, and even less about Sōma's mother, she knew that Saiba Joichiro was a second seat and a veritable cooking legend. She found it hard to believe that anyone would turn him away from their kitchen, let alone a diner like Yukihira's.

"Why, yes. She was very protective, that Kumi. It took weeks of Joichiro bussing tables and washing dishes before she so much as trusted him to pour water for her customers. It was always amusing watching the two interact. Joichiro was a prideful man, then. And I think it really irked him to have someone order him around like that."

Takeda broke off, looking down the aisle past Alice and waving.

"Ah Sōma-chan, I had no idea Nakiri-san was one of your classmates."

Sōma walked up, a glass of dark liquid in his hand. He scratched the back of his head, almost embarrassed.

"Takeda-san, I told you to stop calling me that. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Even when you were a kid, you protested it. So, in that regard, I don't really see what's changed."

The portly man laughed at Sōma's expense, the red head doing his best to avoid meeting Alice's amused gaze. He also pretended that he couldn't hear her snickering none-too-subtly behind her hand. Resting the glass of tea in front of the store manager, Sōma turned to go back to the kitchen.

"Your order will be out in a few minutes."

"Actually, Sōma-chan, if you don't mind, I would like Nakiri-san here to prepare my order. If she's willing?"

Sōma turned, the surprise in his eyes clear. Alice was also fairly surprised as well. Takeda was putting a surprising amount of faith in her, considering they'd talked all of three times and he'd never even seen her cook. She looked at Sōma, who appeared to be conflicted between wanting to satisfy a customer's request and maintaining the quality of his diner's food.

He looked over at Alice.

"What do you think about that, Alice?" he asked guardedly.

Despite her earlier insistence, Alice simply smiled at him and shrugged.

"Whatever you decide is fine, Sōma-kun. It's no small thing to allow another chef into your kitchen. I'll respect your decision either way."

Her calm reply seemed to allow him to come to a decision. Glancing around at the restaurant and noting that it was still fairly empty, Sōma nodded.

"That will be no problem at all then, Takeda-san. Let's go, Alice."

Even though she said she was fine either way, Alice still found herself a little surprised that Sōma had relented. She couldn't really see many other chefs doing something like that, although that may also have something to do with the intimacy and familiarity of a small diner like Yukihira's. Facilitating a personal request by a family friend was probably a simpler matter here than it would be at another sort of establishment.

Alice followed Sōma into the back, accepting the apron he offered her and tying it around her waist. A #13 on Restaurant Yukihira's menu was a simple dish; it was an _Oyakodon_. The literal translation was something like "parent-and-child rice bowl". This particular dish consisted of chicken, egg and onions, served over rice.

Sōma guided Alice through the preparation steps, his instructions clear and precise. Almost to the point of exasperation, really. Alice restrained her annoyance at his overly specific directions, following them as best she could. Why was he being so particular over a simple bowl dish?

At that moment, in the DCT kitchen at Tōtsuki, Erina sneezed, doing her best to restrain it. Regardless, a little chirp still escaped, causing her to twitch and stir her pot an extra clockwise half rotation.

"Erina-chan! You stirred the rice too much. Both of you, start from the top!"

Megumi groaned, turning her stove off and moving to reset her work station. As Erina did the same, she couldn't help but feel like she should be very, very mad at her cousin.

Back at the diner, Alice continued following the steps Sōma laid out, the end result being a steaming bowl of rice, overlaid with fresh spring onions, chicken and egg. Its accompaniment was a small bowl of soup, with a few dumplings. The smell arising from the food was mouthwatering and Alice smiled at her accomplishment. She'd been a little nervous, as she rarely prepared traditional Japanese cuisine, but the dish had come out perfectly. She needn't have been nervous at all.

Sōma picked up the tray, eyeing it critically. He wafted the steam towards his nose, taking a deep whiff.

"So how'd I do, Sōma-kun?" asked Alice cheekily. She already knew she'd done amazingly, but it wouldn't hurt to hear him admit it.

"It's alright. You did a fair job for your first attempt."

Alice frowned, glaring at Sōma, who seemed ignorant to the ire being directed at him. He simply grabbed a pair of chopsticks, slipping them into a paper sleeve before depositing them onto the tray alongside the bowl.

Alice picked up the tray, sweeping past Sōma without a word, bumping him out of the way with her shoulder, her nose in the air. He stared after her confusedly. What had he said?

Alice nudged the kitchen door open with her foot, heading towards Takeda's table. She placed the food in front of him, presenting it with a flourish.

"I hope you enjoy." she said, smiling. Takeda rubbed his hands together eagerly.

"I'm sure I will, Nakiri-san. This looks delicious."

He picked up his chopsticks, breaking them apart with a quick prayer, before diving in. Alice left his table, circling back towards the kitchen, where Sōma stood at the door. He was looking out at Takeda's table with what seemed to be a hint of nervousness.

Alice gave him a flat look.

"Do you really have that little faith in me, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma turned to her and held his hands out helplessly.

"It's not really a matter of faith so much as it is nervousness. It's been a while since anyone but Pops or I served a customer here."

"So who was it that had this honor before I?" asked Alice. She was almost sure of the answer but she didn't want to seem presumptuous.

Sōma looked at her, weighing the girl with his gaze. He looked at the green shirt she wore and he smiled nostalgically, hit by the familiar sight. He looked away, looking out at the dining area of the Yukihira restaurant.

"My mother. Yukihira Kumi."

Alice looked at Sōma's face and saw the normally distant visage fade a bit as new emotions rose to replace the coldness. Sōma's eyes looked off into the distance, clearly lost in thought, an equal mix of regret and happiness flitting across them.

"Sōma-kun, if it wouldn't be too forward of me to…may I ask what happened to her?" said Alice softly.

Sōma looked over at her, his face still a bit lost in his memories. It took him a moment to respond.

"What makes you think something happened to her, Alice?"

"Ah…well, it's just that Takeda-san had mentioned her…" said Alice awkwardly, trying to be tactful. "He said that she had…passed away."

Sōma didn't seem fazed by Alice's honesty. He merely sighed and folded his arms, looking away from her again.

"I don't mind you asking about her, Alice. Not really. But how about we close up for the day first? It's getting late."

They both started moving in a well-practiced rhythm, Alice heading out to the main dining area while Sōma started shuffling things around in the kitchen. By the time she returned with the last few dishes from the tables, Sōma had already started washing the pots and pans they'd used for the day and, with her assistance, they got the rest of the kitchen cleaned in minutes.

After lowering the shutters and properly securing the ingredient stores, Sōma and Alice sat at one of the tables in the restaurant across from each other. Sōma was leaning his chin onto his hand and staring out of the window, his mind clearly somewhere else. Almost absently, he reached over and unclasped his chain, the metal falling to the table with a rattle.

Alice didn't say anything as she watched the emotions rise and play across Sōma's face. Fondness, grief, happiness, nostalgia, regret, guilt…all of these and more moved across Sōma's face as his posture softened and he unclenched his hands with a relieved sigh. After a few seconds, he broke the silence.

"Mom wasn't a very good cook, you know."

Sōma's face was wistful as he stared down at the innocuous chain that lay on the table. He picked it up and toyed with the links idly.

"Really, she was terrible, from a professional standpoint anyway. People like Erina or Kojiro-senpai would probably laugh at her efforts. Her rice would be too hard or too soft, never in the proper middle. Her meat would be just a bit too browned, her seasonings would be imbalanced and she often took way too long to prepare something that should've been pretty simple."

"But she's the one that ran the diner, isn't she?" asked Alice curiously. From what Takeda had said, it definitely sounded as if Kumi was the one running things in the kitchen before Joichiro had taken over.

"Yea. Pops met her while he was out here one day because he'd heard about this amazing diner that was run by a single person. "

 _A young, dark haired man walked down the street, looking around the Sumiredōri Shopping District confusedly. According to what he heard, the diner should be pretty easy to find. After asking around a bit, he finally stood under the branded, red awning, opening the sliding door entrance._

"He made it a point to come because he was always looking to try new things to refine his cooking. Even now, he spends most of his weekends taking day trips out to distant prefectures to pick up new material. And he was pretty excited when he arrived at the diner. At first anyway."

 _The golden eyed man tapped his feet impatiently, checking his watch. It had been almost thirty minutes since he'd placed his order! Wasn't this a special of the day diner? He looked over at the chef's station, where a red haired, petite woman in a green, long sleeved shirt was shuffling about. She stepped away from the stove, placing something on a tray, before bringing it over to his table._

" _Sorry for the wait, sir. Here you go."_

" _It's about time, do you know how-"_

 _The man cut himself off as he looked up into the smiling face of Restaurant Yukihira's sole employee. He felt his heart start to race and he swallowed, his throat suddenly dry._

"According to Pops, she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. But he pretty much forgot about that when he got around to looking at his food. There were a bunch of mistakes. Rookie mistakes, really. Something he usually had no qualms pointing out. But apparently he was "so struck by her beauty that all his criticism had left him" or so he says."

Sōma placed air quotes around his speech, smiling in fond remembrance of the familiar tale.

 _The man known as the Asura picked up a sample of the rice, already able to tell that the texture was inadequate. He placed it into his mouth and began chewing, finding that his assessment was correct. The rice really was-_

 _He dropped his chopsticks as a feeling welled up within him. Feelings that weren't his own. Kindness and gratitude. A desire to succeed and to serve the customer, coupled with an overarching feeling of just…goodness. Plain and simple goodness._

"Eating Mom's cooking was…an experience. Like I said, she really wasn't all that good. But there was something about the way she cooked that just spoke to you. It's like she literally put everything she was feeling into every dish she made. It made you respect her, it made you want to come back for more, even if there were places that, technically speaking, had better food."

Sōma's phrasing sparked something in Alice's memory. Something one of the judges had said about Sōma's food. He'd remarked that Sōma's dishes were exquisite, technically perfect, but not an enjoyable experience. Was this the same phenomenon but in reverse?

"So Pops tried to impress her with the fact that he was a Tōtsuki alumnus, a former second seat on the Elite Ten. But Mom's reaction was pretty much like mine would've been, from what he tells me."

 _Green eyes blinked down at gold and the young woman tilted her head at her shell shocked customer. Why was he so surprised that she'd never heard of his school? It's not like it was Tokyo-U or anything. Plus it was a cooking school. Paying to learn to cook was so stupid!_

"So, out of injured pride, my dad challenged my mom to her very first cooking duel. If she won, he'd work as her kitchen slave for the month. And if she lost, she'd have to let him give her proper cooking lessons for a week."

 _The young man was on his knees, his eyes widened as he stared at the cold tile below him. The woman standing over him bent over, asking him if he was alright, her face somewhere in between smug and concerned. Two bowls sat before a large, portly gentleman, a much younger Hiro Takeda. He was laughing good naturedly at the crushed expression on the man's face._

"Ehhh! You're telling me she won?!"

Alice stared at Sōma, who looked back at her, caught off guard by her exclamation.

"Your mother, who'd never even heard of Tōtsuki, beat the _Asura_ on her first TRY?"

Sōma stared at Alice's dumbfounded expression, before bursting into laughter. He laughed long and hard, his mirth only confusing Alice more. As Sōma's laughing started to taper off, he wiped a tear from his eye, grinning widely at Alice's confused, pouty face.

"When you put it that way, it does sound pretty ridiculous. But Pops was pretty arrogant back then. He didn't consider the implications of just what it meant to pick a fight with Yukihira Kumi on her turf. All of her customers were loyal and longstanding for a reason. They all loved her meals, above all else. If Pops had grabbed someone from Tōtsuki, or even just a bystander off the street to be the judge, he would've probably won. But he chose Takeda-san, a longstanding customer."

"So was it a matter of favoritism then?" asked Alice curiously.

Sōma shook his head, grinning.

"Nah, although Pops will swear to this day that it was. Takeda-san just wasn't a food critic. He judged the match on how he enjoyed it and how the food made him feel, as opposed to worrying about the technical details. And Mom won out, by a long shot. So she had Pops doing things like scrubbing the tiles and washing the dishes. She even got him to paint the restaurant's interior."

Sōma looked around at the beige paint which had been refreshed over the years since Joichiro's time as the galley slave of Restaurant Yukihira.

"After that first month, he stuck around and kept trying to pester her into letting him cook with her. It took a couple weeks but she cracked, eventually. And, from there, it was history."

Sōma looked around at the diner that was such a big part of his life; of his parents' lives. His face fell as he thought back to the woman that had raised him and meant so much to him. Even now, he felt like he was living for her.

"She passed away when I was nine. Things were never really the same after that; Pops and I both kind of blamed ourselves. And each other."

Alice didn't know how to take a statement like that and her expression showed it. Sōma looked up at her and he groaned, palming his face.

"I didn't mean to be dump my family's problems on you, Alice. Sorry."

"No, no. That's fine, Sōma-kun!" said Alice. "I was just a bit surprised, is all."

Despite her words, they both sat in awkward silence for a while, the only sound being the ticking of the clock on the wall. Sōma looked at Alice, at the green Yukihira shirt she wore, and he sighed, his thoughts far away as he thought about the mother he'd lost so long ago. A familiar heaviness started to set in on his chest and he felt his eyes begin to itch. He was brought back to Earth by the feel of warm hands over his own.

Alice smiled at Sōma, squeezing his hands reassuringly. He looked down at where her fingers met his and he felt the weight on his chest ease, just a bit. He smiled and squeezed back, gently, taking in the simple gesture of comfort.

"Thank you for trusting me with something like that, Sōma-kun."

After her quiet, sincere words, the two cooks continued to sit in silence, but this one was much more amicable than the awkward silence of before, filled with comfort instead of tension. Sōma looked at the girl in front of him and he felt…something. Something he'd felt before around her, albeit never as strongly as he felt it now.

"Alice."

"Yes, Sōma-kun?"

Their eyes met and Sōma was suddenly struck by just how beautiful the girl before him was. He'd noticed that the Nakiri was pretty before, certainly. But he'd never really taken note of just how beautiful she actually was. Fair, pale skin. Deep, mystifying red eyes. A thick bang sweeping down to frame the left side of her face, giving it an odd, asymmetrical appeal.

"Is something wrong?"

Sōma looked down at where their hands met and he was almost sure that something had changed. There was a heat, an _electricity_ present that hadn't been there before.

"Do…do you feel this too?" he asked Alice hesitantly, vulnerably.

Alice looked down at where their hands met as well and she drew back a bit, adjusting her palms so that she could thread her fingers through Sōma's. The action brought a blush to both of their faces and Alice looked up at Sōma, finding something in his eyes that she'd never seen before. Had it just arrived, or had it simply been there before and she hadn't noticed it?

"I…I think so." was all she said, her heart hammering in her chest.

Sōma leaned forward, his eyes still locked on hers. He looked as if he almost intended to dive straight into the ruby pools. Alice watched him approach, frozen in place from a combination of fear and excitement.

"What…"

Alice swallowed, wondering if Sōma's eyes had always been so big or if he was just really close.

"What are you doing, Sōma-kun?"

The question was whispered, barely audible.

"I don't know."

His response was just as quiet. He'd stopped moving forward, halted at the point where his nose was just out of reach of grazing Alice's own. Neither of them seemed able to pull away from whatever this was.

"It seems like…like maybe…you're trying to kiss me." said Alice, barely getting the words out, her pale face growing even redder. Sōma's blush grew as well and he swallowed, noisily.

"Maybe I am."

Alice didn't know how to respond. She thought that looking away from those brilliant, bronze eyes would be a good way to clear her head, but she couldn't convince herself to do that. It was like she was trapped in them. And she didn't want to escape.

This time, Alice leaned forward, her nose just barely brushing past Sōma's. This close, she could feel the heat emanating from the boy and, as she spoke, she knew her breath was probably playing across his lips.

As Alice leant in even further, she saw something in Sōma's eyes change and he pulled back, his gaze haunted and vulnerable where it had been pure fire before. He turned his head, breaking eye contact with the girl in front of him as he started to speak.

"Alice…I don't think…we can't…I…I'm…."

Sōma knew he wasn't alright. He knew that better than anyone. And, while he didn't know what was going on here, not really, he knew that he didn't want whatever was wrong with him to affect the woman sitting across from him. He was already starting to feel regretful for involving her in his plans, even when he was wrapped in the cold chains of his other self. How selfish would it be of him to try and reach for more?

"You're what, Sōma-kun?"

"Damaged."

The word slipped out quietly, laced with shame and past regrets. For all that it was clear that everything wasn't right with Yukihira Sōma, this was the first time he'd openly admitted it to anyone. This may have been the first time he'd even openly admitted it to himself. That something was wrong, that, for all the strength and planning of his chained persona, he was essentially broken.

Sōma waited to hear her response but Alice didn't say a word. He felt her hands release his and he started to feel an ache in his chest blossom that was suddenly soothed by the hand he felt on his chin. It pushed against his jaw, gently but firmly, turning him to face the insistent, garnet gaze of Nakiri Alice.

"Then I'll fix you."

Sōma's eyes widened at the four word declaration. They widened even further when Alice gripped the other side of his face with her right hand and pulled him towards her. Their lips met in a soft, closed mouth kiss that lasted a scant few seconds. In that short space of time, a connection was formed and a promise was made, even if the words themselves were unspoken.

They pulled back, Alice opening her eyes to meet Sōma's once again. Neither of them said anything and then Sōma moved forward, gently bringing their lips together a second time. And then a third.

When they finally came apart, they looked into each other's eyes again, finding refuge and solace there. One of them spoke, hesitantly.

"I don't really know what this means."

"Neither do I."

Alice looked down at their entwined hands. She squeezed and felt Sōma squeeze back, almost immediately. The gesture was simple but the message was clear.

They would figure it out together.

* * *

The remainder of spring break passed quickly in much the same manner. All across Tōtsuki, those with the passion and determination to bring their cooking to increasingly new heights used the time to prepare themselves.

That day was the last time Yukihira's opened for the break. Sōma and Alice spent the second week of the break on campus with Ryo, working with Tsukasa Eishi, of all people. The neurotic first seat had been nothing but polite and cordial with them, but there was a certain, professional distance he kept between them at all times. It was clear that he was simply there to satisfy Rindō's request (demand) for him to teach the first years and nothing more.

Erina and Megumi continued working with Joichiro, their progress gradual but noticeable as they each worked at bringing their souls into their dishes. By the time the second week of their training had rolled around, their techniques had improved noticeably, along with a sudden, newfound distaste for following instructions, which only served to make them even better chefs, ironically. After all, the key to utilizing the Chef's Soul to its fullest was individuality and a willingness to experiment.

Hayama, after the week he spent studying under Shinomiya Kojiro with Ryo, had spent the second week touring different restaurants throughout the surrounding area. Sōma had contacted a few of the more receptive of his food tasting clients, offering them deals on pricing and scheduling for his critiques if they allowed Hayama to work with them for the day. The week had been almost like a compressed version of the Stagiaire period.

Rindō continued working with Ikumi, pleased with the girl's progress but also determined to bring even more out of her. Sōma would need the firepower. Especially considering that she still wasn't entirely sure just where she'd settle when it was all said and done. Things were primed to be so… _interesting_.

These last few weeks were the calm before the storm at Tōtsuki and everyone knew it. And those involved could only hope that, once the time came, their preparations would be enough.

* * *

Erina handed the papers in her hands to the man behind the desk, his suit garish with playing card symbols.

Kageura Hisanao looked over the forms in his hand, nodding professionally as he finished the cursory read through.

"I'll file these right away, Nakiri-san. I'll send a formal challenge notice out to Yukihira Sōma as well."

"Thank you for your assistance in this matter, President-san."

Erina turned, flicking her hair behind her as she strode out of the offices of the Shokugeki Administration Bureau.


	12. Chapter 12

"Alright, that'll be enough for tonight, Nikumi-chan. Wouldn't want you to be too tired for our first day back at school tomorrow."

Rindō glanced down at her watch.

"Or today, should I say. Feel free to head home once you're done washing up!"

Rindō ignored the by-now-familiar, frosty glare from the busty blonde meat chef, slamming the door behind her without a care. She marched down the halls of the building, whistling to herself. It had been a fairly productive day, by her standards. Ikumi had done well, even if she didn't go out of her way to tell her as much.

Considering that this was the final day of the break, she'd pulled no punches with the girl and had run her through a battery of tests, evaluations and exercises, to really see how much of what she'd tried to teach the girl had stuck. And she'd been pleasantly surprised by how well she'd done. She just wondered how it would stack up against the other players; after all, this was Tōtsuki. No one worth their salt would've been sitting idle during the break.

At the very least, based on the feedback she'd gotten from Tsukasa, she knew that Sōma and the Nakiri girl had flourished under his tutelage. Their cooking had taken a leap forward, even though only a single week had passed. She'd expected as much from Sōma, but to hear that the Nakiri girl was even keeping pace was impressive. In her (admittedly limited) experience with the Nakiri family, they weren't a breed that took well to being told what to do.

But it seemed Nakiri Alice was more than willing to listen. A fact that seemed due in no small part to Sōma's efforts, if Tsukasa was to be believed. He also told her that it seemed something more was going on, although the signs weren't very obvious. To him, anyway.

To Rindō, that meant the signs were probably large and flashing neon. If someone as self-centered and oblivious as Tsukasa could see them, they had to be. And Rindō HAD been busy these past few weeks, her exchanges with Sōma short and text based for the most part. So it was possible that something had developed in that time; a fact which both concerned and intrigued her. She'd simply have to look into it, now that she'd have some more time to spare.

A chime rang out and Rindō looked down at her phone, seeing a little icon start to flash. An email had come through. She swiped it open and started to read it, casually continuing on her path towards home. As she finished up, she smirked widely and suddenly felt the urge to cackle. Which she did. It wasn't like there was anyone around to judge her for it.

It seemed the time had finally come. Preparations for next year would officially begin at a landmark meeting of this year's Elite Ten Council. The beginning of the end, so to speak.

Tōtsuki, as has been mentioned before, functioned quite differently from a lot of the other high school institutions of Japan. One of the most obvious differences being the Elite Ten Council. While most schools had some form of school council, they were often than not more extra-curricular than anything, and held no real say in the school's decisions. This was not so for the Elite Ten Council.

At the end of the day, the council of Tōtsuki's best had almost full authority over the school itself. Teachers could be fired, buildings could be remodeled and entire curriculums could be revised at their whim. As a result, the selection of just who could belong to this illustrious group was a careful process; mediated by several factors. Even the Director of Tōtsuki only had limited power when it came to influencing who was put onto the Elite Ten. While he could remove members at his will, replacing them wasn't a completely independent choice for him to make. And every time he removed a member, his position only became more vulnerable, simply because the empty seats could be obtained in a variety of ways.

In addition, due to a variety of rules set in place to ensure both the integrity of the Director and the Administration as a whole, a new Elite Ten Council member couldn't be dismissed against their will, outside of a shokugeki that is, for a period of time that varied based on the number of the seat in question. The holder of the 10th seat can't be dismissed from the Elite Ten for a period of no less than two months. Whereas, with the 1st seat, they can be dismissed after a single week.

Basically, this meant that any and all empty seats were a potential weakness to be exploited against Nakiri Azami. And there would be not three, but seven empty seats in a little more than a month.

Rindō smiled as she thought about how interesting things could possibly get. And wondered if Sōma had gathered the strength needed to really end this year with a bang. She truly hoped so.

Whistling as she strolled down the cobbled stone pathway, she couldn't help but cackle again, although this one was more of a giggle than anything else, as she smiled to herself. This was going to be so much fun!

* * *

Rindō daintily covered her mouth as she yawned. This was the part of Tōtsuki she hated. The part that, more than anything else, really made her cringe and made her wonder if the exorbitant budget, food and power allocated to her was really all worth it.

Final Examinations. These were apparently of vital importance to her as a senior because they would be a major factor in determining what colleges she would be able to attend once she graduated and left Tōtsuki.

Rindō rolled her eyes as she looked over the series of questions, filling some in while leaving others blank. This was so annoyingly trite. Boring, cookie cutter questions that matched the national Japanese school curriculum. Pretty much every senior in Japan would probably be looking at the same paper she was. Of course, the questions would be shuffled around. A different variable here, a different set of constants here. But it was all the same, when you got right down to it.

Rindō sighed, briefly catching the attention of the examiner who sat at the head of her classroom. It wasn't difficult, considering she was one of four people in the room. Her graduating class was fairly small, even by Tōtsuki's standards. Outside of the Elite Ten, there were only about six students set to graduate from Tōtsuki, and that was assuming none of them dropped out in between now and then.

Rindō eyed the three people around her idly, her half complete exam paper in front of her. Her contempt was almost palpable and the dark haired boy seated to her right glanced briefly in her direction, making the mistake of catching her eye.

He found himself frozen by her gaze, shivering as he sat, caught up in Rindō's cold, snakelike eyes. The second seat seemed to be weighing him, the way a predator weighed its prey before mercilessly crushing the life from it.

"Sensei."

The examiner looked back up at Rindō's voice. The maroon haired girl continued staring at the nervous boy, a bored expression painted across her face. She pointed her finger sharply at the boy, causing him to flinch.

"Kenichi-kun is looking at my paper."

The young man broke away from her eyes, looking at the examiner in horror.

"N-Najime-sensei, that's not true! I was…was just…"

"Just what, Kenichi-kun?" asked Rindō, the threat in her voice all too clear. With a muted yelp, the boy stopped talking and looked down at his work, the pencil in his hand shaking.

Najime looked between the two, clearly more than a little uncomfortable. He'd seen exactly what had happened, it was hard not to with so few people in the room. But he also couldn't afford to directly go against the second most powerful student at Tōtsuki. She could have him fired before the day was out, if she so chose.

"Kobayashi-kun, perhaps you were mistaken? Kenichi-kun's certainly never been one to cheat before, and I highly doubt he'd do it now on what is such an important day for all of you."

"Ah, I see." said Rindō, her expression almost apologetic as she leaned back, finally looking away from the trembling form of her fellow classmate.

Kenichi barely got to breathe a sigh of relief before he heard Rindō start to speak again.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to speak with Azami-sama to get his thoughts on the matter. I wouldn't want to be remiss in my duties to Central, after all. And we certainly can't have it known that _cheaters_ prosper at our illustrious school."

The relish with which Rindō had uttered the accusatory word was almost a tangible thing. Najime opened his mouth, as if to protest, before closing it as Rindō grinned at him.

"It would be a shame if something like that happened due to your inadequate proctoring, wouldn't it Najime-sensei?"

Kenichi's expression of relief had become one of complete horror and he looked to the front of the room, at his teacher. Sensei and student looked at one another. One fearful and one apologetic.

"Sensei…please…"

"Kenichi-kun…can you please give me your paper and exit the exam room?"

The crushed expression on Kenichi's face should've given Rindō a good laugh but it barely inspired a smile from her. It was too simple, too…easy. As Kenichi walked to the front of the classroom, she looked around at the other two students in the room, a boy and a girl, who were both watching her with guarded expressions. They quickly looked away once she caught their eyes, dutifully going back to filling out their exam papers. Rindō resisted the urge to scoff. Weaklings, all of them.

If you made it into your senior year of school at Tōtsuki, you were generally one of two kinds of people. An Elite Ten Council member or a spineless coward. Simply put, the competitive nature of Tōtsuki more often than not drove seniors to exile each other during their final year, as they realized that, for all their prestige, there were still only so many opportunities available. "Worthy" opportunities, that is. Realistically, any Tōtsuki graduate could work at kitchens across the world, but you still competed with those that you graduated with AND those that have graduated before you.

And it had become a generally accepted rule in the cooking world that, the more students a graduating class from Tōtsuki had; the less worth that class overall had, which gave the more often than not selfish seniors incentive to do their best to expel their fellow colleagues. And, while there were a few students that utilized more underhanded tactics, the vast majority of forced expulsions came as a result of Shokugekis. Which is how the split between the spineless and those that would make up the Elite Ten was so prominent.

You were a fighter that cut your teeth on the graves of your fellow classmates or you were a coward that simply plodded along during your tenure at Tōtsuki without accepting any shokugeki challenges. That was what it meant to be a third year at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy.

"Sensei."

Rindō looked up at the door to see Tsukasa Eishi standing in the frame, an apologetic look on his face as he scratched his cheek.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, might I borrow Rindō-chan? It's rather urgent."

"O-Of course, Tsukasa-san. That would be no trouble at all." said the teacher, standing up, flustered. "Kobayashi-kun, are you finished with your exam?"

Rindō looked down at the papers in front of her, flipping through them quickly. She sketched down a few more answers on the sheets she hadn't done yet, before carefully going back through the papers one more time. After doing some counting on her fingers and muttering under her breath, Rindō nodded to herself and stood up with a grin.

"All done, Najime-sensei."

She walked forward and tossed the paper on the desk carelessly, bypassing the man who'd had his hand held out to receive it. Following Tsukasa into the hall, she elbowed him in greeting, causing him to flinch.

"Rindō-chan…" he whined, rubbing his side.

"Oh, stop whining." she said, rolling her eyes. "Now, just what is it you needed me for?"

"Ah, it's time for the meeting."

Rindō looked over at Tsukasa, whose expression seemed to be more melancholic than usual.

"Ah, already? I thought the meeting wasn't going to be until later this evening."

Tsukasa shrugged, loosening and removing his tie as they continued to walk down the hall.

"It seems Azami-sama decided to move the timeframe up a bit. I didn't bother to ask why, as I was finished with my final exams for the day anyway."

They both paused before the door of the main meeting room of the Elite Ten Council. Tsukasa removed a key from his pocket, an ornate, gold gilded piece of metal. This was the key specifically reserved for the Elite Ten Council's headquarters. Besides Tsukasa's copy, there were only two others in circulation. One was in Rindō's possession while the other was split into half, and held jointly by the Director and the 3rd seat of the Elite Ten. As there was no current third seat, Azami held both halves, a fact he made use of, if his presence at the head of the table in the room was any indication.

"Greetings Tsukasa-kun. Kobayashi-kun."

"Azami-sama." they both responded, bowing their heads slightly. Rindō moved to take her seat, reclining back in it as was her wont. She didn't have too long to wait as, one by one, the other Elite Ten members started trickling in.

First came Saito Somei, followed by Kinokuni Nene and Eizan Etsuya. Akanegakubo Momo followed barely a minute later, her purple stuffed animal cradled in her arms. As everyone took their seats, the shuffling of chairs and quiet acknowledgement of colleagues was exchanged for silence as they waited for the final member of the Elite Ten Council to appear.

Azami stood up and moved towards the door, shutting it and locking it.

"I'm afraid Sōma-kun won't be joining us today. He has another, more pressing matter to attend to."

Rindō narrowed her eyes, ever so slightly, now more than sure that the shift in meeting time had been a very purposeful move on Azami's part.

"As all of you are aware, the end of the school year is almost upon us. With that, some of our esteemed council members will be leaving us for greener pastures as they go on to revolutionize the cooking world as we know it. This means that, as is always done, replacements for such talent will need to be found within our ranks. This year, I've taken the liberty of drawing up plans for the selection process of the coming Elite Ten."

Azami gestured and his head of security, Hideki, stepped forward and placed a thin bundle of papers in front of each of the Elite Ten members for their inspection.

"The details are enclosed therein; but the first thing I will need from each of our graduating council members is a nomination."

"A nomination?" asked Rindō curiously. Azami nodded and smiled, the expression hollow, as always.

"Yes. It will be an important part of the selection process. Each of the Elite Ten Council members that are graduating will select a Tōtsuki student from the two grades below as their nominee for joining the council next year. While the nomination will by no means be a guarantee, it will add significant weight to the student in question's bid to obtain a seat. Or a higher seat,even."

"What do you mean by 'a higher seat', Azami-sama?" asked Nene, her taciturn tone only barely revealing a glimpse of intrigue at Azami's choice of words.

"Well, the details are in your packets, as I said. But essentially, with this year's Elite Ten selection process, you will be placed on somewhat equal footing with the other students making a bid for a seat on the Council, Kinokuni-kun. Of course, the fact that you are a current seat holder already will impact your standing significantly. And a nomination on top of that will all but assure you a higher position, come next year."

"Ah, I see. Thank you, Azami-sama." said the pig tailed girl.

"Then would you like our nominations now then, Azami-sama?" asked Tsukasa genially. He wasn't even looking at the papers in front of him. He was merely leaning back and toying with his loosened tie.

"No. I was going to give you all until the end of the week to submit them. You are free to do it now, however, if you already have someone in mind."

He settled his cold, dark eyes on the white mirrors that were Tsukasa's.

"All I would ask is that you consider your choice carefully, Tsukasa-kun. It's important that you choose someone who will not only exemplify Tōtsuki, but also Central and my administration as well, understood?"

Tsukasa simply smiled, not a hint of the usual nerves he displayed under pressure showing.

"In that case, my nomination will be Kinokuni Nene, Azami-sama."

The pink eyed girl's eyes widened slightly, the equivalent of jaw dropping shock on someone less composed. Tsukasa looked over at her and smiled beatifically, the way a king may smile at his favored knight.

"I can think of no one better to further your ideals, Azami-sama. Nene-chan's a splendid chef, and I'm sure she'll be a good replacement for me come next year."

"You seem certain Nene-chan is going to be the 1st seat next year, Tsukasa." said Rindō, smiling mischievously at the white haired boy.

"Are you saying she won't be, Rindō? Nene's a formidable opponent." rumbled Saito, the swordsman interjecting, although his eyes still remained close. Rindō shrugged in response, carefree.

"I'm just saying anything is possible." she singsonged.

"Very well." said Azami, cutting the short moment of levity even shorter. "I don't disapprove of that decision. I'll make the appropriate arrangements. Tsukasa-kun, please complete the nomination form from your packet and give it to me. With that in mind, would anyone else like to submit their nominees at this time? Akanegakubo-kun? Saito-kun perhaps? If you're having trouble deciding, I have several potential candidates that may suit your tastes."

Azami looked around the room, but Saito said nothing, Rindō shook her head and Momo waved her doll, the stuffed cat shaking its head.

"This is a decision Bucchi and I should think about more." said the short girl.

"And that's perfectly fine." said Azami, more than used to the girl's odd mannerisms. "Just know that I expect a decision by no later than this Friday."

The three indecisive seniors nodded in response.

"Splendid. Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to our next item of business."

Azami snapped his fingers, and Hideki placed a binder in front of him. Opening it up, he glanced over the front page.

"The survivor's purge is progressing well for Central. Out of the thirty two independent organizations that have faced Central, thirty one organizations have been dismantled, with the Cutting Edge RS being the sole exception. Due to spring break, the purge was put on hold but, as of today, it has resumed. In fact, Sōma-kun should be in the middle of his shokugeki with the Chinese Cuisine RS right now."

"Yukihira's going up against Kuga?" asked Eizan, smirking behind his glasses. "That should be interesting to see. No matter who wins, an impudent punk will be put in his place."

"While Yukihira is certainly skilled, I doubt he'd be able to match Kuga when he's taking him seriously." said Nene simply, looking bored at the topic of the conversation.

"Sōma-kun may surprise you, Nene." commented Rindō, smiling cheekily. Nene glanced at her upperclassman, unimpressed.

"I know he's something of a pet project of yours, Rindō-senpai. But that's no reason to assume he'd beat Kuga. Especially considering the theme of the match would be Chinese cuisine."

Rindō's smile only grew and she laughed, slapping the girl on her shoulder, which earned her an irritated look from the 6th seat.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"There may be no need to wait actually. Why don't we find out?" said Azami. He gestured to Hideki and the man moved to the TV screen on the wall, turning it on with a tap. After a few more taps on his tablet, the screen shifted from the start up screen to the Tōtsuki channel. A serious Kawashima Urara came onto the screen, her usual bubbly demeanor muted.

"And there you have it. In what may have been the closest survivor's match we've seen to date, Sōma-kun emerges victorious once again. He just barely beat out Terunori Kuga in a 2-1 victory. In addition, Terunori-san is also expelled from Tōtsuki."

"Expelled?!"

The faces around the table showed varying degrees of surprise. Nene was by far the most shocked, her mouth hanging open and her magenta eyes wide. Her usual decorum had completely left her at the unexpected words from the school idol.

"Really? That annoying shorty went and got himself expelled?" said Rindō, rolling her eyes. She looked over at Nene, who still sat in stunned silence.

"Well, I told you he'd surprise you. Even more than I thought. Ai, Nene?"

The girl blinked, looking over at Rindō, who was smirking at her. Her cat like eyes gleamed in satisfaction. Rindō had nothing against Kuga, far from it, she actually quite liked the little hothead. But it was certainly satisfying to be proven right.

Nene blinked again, closing her mouth and swallowing as her eyes fell, her expression fixed back into its normal placidity. She stood up slowly, her movements a little too rigid.

"Azami-sama, I respectfully request a short r-recess…"

Nene's voice caught on the last word, and she cleared her throat, blinking rapidly to clear her eyes of the sudden moisture that had tried to gather. Azami stared at her, his eyes devoid of any pity, despite his token expression of sympathy.

"Alright then, Kinokuni-kun. We'll reconvene in fifteen minutes. You're excused until then."

Bowing formally, Nene turned and left the room, leaving heavy silence in her wake. Kinokuni Nene was known for her stoicism and unbreakable composure, and to see it so disturbed was more than a little surprising to those that knew her. Thankfully, the TV was still on in the background, providing a useful distraction to those still present.

On stage, Sōma and Kuga were conversing, much too far away for the camera's microphone to pick anything up. Sōma held out his hand beseechingly and Kuga's shoulders fell as he shook his head but obediently removed his uniform jacket and handed it to Sōma before marching through the double doors at the rear of the arena.

The camera switched views, going back to Urara as she watched the second year walk off. Noticing the camera's focus, Urara turned hastily, clearing her throat.

"To those just joining us, Yukihira Sōma has emerged victorious yet again in another survivor's purge shokugeki. He faced his toughest opponent yet, a second year and a former Elite Ten Council member to boot. The theme was Chinese Cuisine and, in what seemed to be somewhat of a reenactment of their conflict at the Moon Banquet Festival, Sōma-kun prepared a dish he calls ' _Time Fuse Mapo Curry Noodles_ ' and Terunori-san prepared his well-known ' _Mapo Doufu_ '. The judges deliberated for almost fifteen minutes, before finally locking in their votes, leading to a 2-1 victory for Sōma-kun."

Scenes from the shokugeki started to play across the screen. Sōma stirring noodles; Kuga tossing the contents of a wok; the judges amazed, reddened faces as they tried both dishes.

"And in what proved to be a complete surprise, Terunori-san was the one who proposed utilizing Sōma's infamous stakes, betting expulsion against the Central Enforcer's tenth seat."

The scene shifted to Sōma and Kuga facing each other, the scene indicating that their dishes were in the middle of being cooked.

"So how about it, Yukihira-chin? I'm game if you are." said Kuga, smiling competitively at the red head.

Sōma didn't say anything at first, and his cold, flinty eyes seemed to be measuring Kuga. The dark skinned boy looked away from him, shivering exaggeratedly.

"Such cold eyes. You could give Nene-chan a run for her money. And her frigid stares are a sight to see, let me tell you. So what'll it be? Speak now or forever hold your peace and all that."

"I would urge you to reconsider. But if you still choose to proceed, then who am I to deny you?"

Kuga grinned, slapping the other boy on the shoulder spiritedly.

"That's what I like to hear. Try not to cry when I use you to get back on the Council, huh?"

"Arrogant to the end, I see." said Eizan, even though his face didn't match his words. While he was nowhere near as torn as Nene had been, it was clear that he was affected by the sudden removal of one of his classmates.

"Awww, is someone hurt? Is little Eizan sad because one of his friends is leaving?" asked Rindō mockingly. Eizan turned to her, the vein in his head throbbing.

"Kuga was an egotistical, puffed up midget, but he was still a comrade of ours. Don't try to act as if I should be jumping for joy just because he was stupid enough to get kicked out by a first year."

"It's your choice how you feel about Kuga's departure, Eizan." said Saito, opening his eyes to stare evenly at the younger white haired boy. "But, I would advise that you simply be thankful that you did not wield the blade that cut him down yourself."

Eizan gritted his teeth, his retort dying on his lips. The fifth seat was right. He'd done the research, he knew how it worked. There was a significant, inverse correlation between the size of a graduating class and the success of its members. Barring a few anomalies, it was all too clear that, to be a successful graduate of Tōtsuki, it was in your best interest to cull however much of the herd you could before you received your diploma.

And Eizan was no fool. He knew himself well enough. He wasn't nearly sentimental enough to sacrifice his future success for something as paltry as _friendship_. That didn't mean he was going to be happy doing it, however.

Saito looked up at the screen, where Sōma proceeded to walk towards the exit to the arena.

"Kuga made an error in judgement. And, just as it would on any other battlefield, it cost him."

"Wow, I think this is the most I've heard Saito talk in months." commented Rindō idly before noticing something on the screen. "Hey, is that…"

* * *

"Can I help you, Kinokuni-senpai?" asked Sōma evenly, Kuga's jacket folded over his arm. The green haired girl's eyes were clear of tears, but they bore a suspicious, pinkish tint that had nothing to do with her natural eye color.

"May I speak with you in private, Yukihira-kun?" asked Nene, the cool tone of her voice only barely hiding what lay beneath it. Sōma nodded silently, before opening the double doors and gesturing for Nene to follow him.

Once they'd entered the hallway proper, and the doors had closed behind them, Nene rounded on Sōma, her face still calm, but only just barely, now. Her fists were clenched tightly and her shoulders were drawn up.

"Take it back." she said. Sōma arched an eyebrow at her.

"If you mean the results of the shokugeki, then you should know as well as I that, once a judgement has been declared, there's no changing it Kinokuni-senpai."

"I don't care."

The nonsensical declaration was completely out of character for the level headed girl. Sōma took a closer look at the girl, his eyes sweeping over her form.

"My apologies, Kinokuni-senpai. I don't think I can be of any assistance here."

"Besides, I accepted the terms fair and square, Nene-chan."

Nene turned in surprise to face Kuga, who was looking at her with an expression somewhere in between sad and fond. He'd been reclining against a nearby wall, just barely out of sight.

"Kuga…you...you idiot!" barked out Nene, refusing to acknowledge that her eyes had begun to tear up, even though her face remained almost painfully controlled.

Kuga looked askance at her shout, before responding in kind, his expression comically angry.

"Hey, watch it! I'm not about to take any of that crap from you just because I'm leaving!"

"You're not leaving."

Nene turned to face Sōma, stepping over to him and snatching the blue uniform jacket he held. Walking back, she shoved it into Kuga's arms.

"You don't get to leave like this. I won't accept it."

Kuga looked down at the jacket he suddenly found in his arms, before looking up into Nene's determined, pink eyes. He sighed, shaking his head.

"The decision isn't yours to make, Nene-chan."

He stepped around her, holding out the jacket to Sōma, who took it back without a word. Nene looked between the two boys, at their almost identical, resolute expressions, and then she looked down, clenching her fists again as fog began to cover her vision. Removing her misty glasses, Nene used the back of her hand to wipe at her eyes as her composure began to crack even further.

"Baka."

"Yea. I am, aren't I?"

Nene felt arms encircle her and she leaned into Kuga, refusing to look at him. To let him see her cry. Kinokuni Nene was strong, cold, merciless. She did not cry.

"You swore that you'd beat me and that we'd graduate together. I was going to be the first seat and you were supposed to be the second."

"I think you have that backwards." Kuga corrected mildly, no heat in his voice.

"How are you supposed to do that if you're not even here?" she continued, ignoring his interruption. She felt more than heard him sigh again and his arms tightened around her.

"I guess I screwed up pretty big, Nene-chan. I'm not going to be able to keep my promise. You'll just have to do it for me. When you're the first seat of the school, I'll make sure to fly in so I can try some of your cooking, alright?"

Kuga's words, which were meant to comfort her, only served to make Nene feel worse, as they just made the fact that he was going to be gone more and more apparent. She didn't say anything further, instead just doing her best to try and forget, for just a few seconds, that her personal annoyance and maybe-best-friend was leaving.

Her pale arms slowly rose up to return his embrace, her arms tightening around him as her shoulders shook. More and more tears started to stream down her cheeks and she began to sob.

Kinokuni Nene, the strict, emotionless sixth seat of the Elite Ten Council and the strongest second year student in Tōtsuki didn't cry. But Nene-chan, the seventeen year old girl who was losing the pain in the ass that doubled as her best friend and most outspoken rival certainly did. And she did it loudly.

Sōma looked at the scene without flinching, the raw display of emotion from someone who normally didn't express any at all leaving a bitter, ironic taste in his mouth. He would watch what he'd wrought, however unwittingly. It would serve as a good reminder, when the time came.

Minutes passed, the only sound being Nene's sobbing as Kuga held her, stroking her back soothingly. While he didn't shed any tears of his own, it was clear that seeing the girl like this was a painful thing for him. It was only made worse by the fact that he was the reason she was like this.

As Nene's crying began to quiet down, she slowly relinquished her grip on Kuga. She drew back, still sniffling as she wiped at her eyes with the heel of her palm. Her pink eyes were now almost completely red, and Kuga pointedly ignored the redness of her cheeks, and the hiccups of her breath as she tried to regain some semblance of composure.

"You'll visit, won't you?"

The question was more of a plea than anything else and Kuga looked despondent at the vulnerability present in her voice. Kinokuni Nene wasn't vulnerable. Ever.

"I'll try." was all he could say.

Kuga wasn't a citizen of Japan. He's a Chinese national, originally hailing from Chengdu, the capital city of the Si Chaun province of China. With his expulsion, he couldn't be certain just what form his future was about to take, and he couldn't promise that he would be able to frequently come and go to Japan at his leisure. Especially now that his entire life had been basically turned upside down by his forceful removal from Tōtsuki.

Nene looked at Kuga, whose perpetually cheerful, impish expression had been swapped for a serious one.

"I mean it, Nene-chan. I expect you to make it to the top for the both of us, you hear?"

"Don't be presumptuous. I was planning to make it there regardless, so I can do without you attempting to order me around."

Kuga grinned at the familiar thorniness.

"That's my girl."

Stepping back, he looked over Nene's shoulder at Sōma, whose face was unreadable as ever.

"Hey, Yukihira-chin. Congrats on your win. You were a good opponent."

Sōma inclined his head.

"As were you, Kuga-senpai."

The dark haired boy walked off, whistling cheerfully as if he hadn't just been exiled from the most prestigious cooking school in the world. As he got further and further away, the tone faded until there was nothing but silence and the barest of echoes between Nene and Sōma.

Neither of them spoke, the silence heavy. Finally, after what seemed like much too long, Nene spoke.

"I will never forgive you for this, Yukihira."

Sōma took a moment to respond. And when he did, his words were said with little inflection.

"I wouldn't expect you to, Kinokuni-senpai."

"Good."

And with that, Nene walked off, her stride brisk and cold. When Kuga left, the teary eyed Nene-chan had left with him. Leaving Kinokuni Nene in her place. And Kinokuni Nene didn't cry; she crushed those that wronged her without mercy.

She ignored the fact that Sōma was just doing the job he'd been assigned to do. She ignored the fact that it was Kuga, not Sōma, who'd proposed the stakes and pressured his opponent into accepting. She ignored the fact that this was Tōtsuki and it could've easily been any one of a number of other students that expelled Terunori Kuga in a shokugeki.

She ignored it all, instead choosing to focus her frustration and anger on an all too easy target.

Nene opened the door to the Elite Ten Council meeting room, the conversations quieting at her entrance. Moving to take her seat, Nene ignored the mix of curiosity and concern coming from her fellow Council members.

"Are you alright, Kinokuni-kun?" asked Azami, the question mere formality more than anything else.

"Yes, Azami-sama. I'm fine."

Or at least, she would be. Once she'd properly taken her revenge on Yukihira Sōma.

* * *

Sōma walked down the trail towards the Nakiri mansion, thinking about the match he'd just had. He didn't often wager his seat unless he was completely certain about the outcome, and he'd been anything but sure of his ability to beat Kuga. He was, without question, the strongest of the RS presidents, as most students chose to focus on improving their own cooking as opposed to devoting their time to helping others improve their own. Selfishness was the name of the game at Tōtsuki.

Even with Kuga, the Chinese Cuisine RS had really just been more an extension of himself than anything else. He'd chosen to focus entirely on a specific branch of Chinese cooking, as opposed to on the wide breadth that China, with its thousands of years of rich culinary history, had to offer. He'd been able to utilize the resources of having his own, personal army to great effect more than once, as he'd shown at the Moon Banquet Festival.

That being said, when Kuga had brought up Sōma's usual wager, he'd made a critical error. Mapo Doufu, specifically the almost painfully spicy style of Mapo Doufo prepared by Kuga, required careful monitoring at all stages of preparation for a variety of reasons. The amount of different ingredients required to be brought together in so many different ways meant that a chef didn't have much time to spare leaving his station to trade gibes with his opponent.

Kuga was no rookie and had been planning to speak with Sōma from the beginning, so he'd knowingly made some adjustments to his dish, to provide him with the small window of time needed to request Sōma's terms. These adjustments, while mostly minor, lowered the quality of his dish. It wasn't a significant drop by any means, but it was a drop nonetheless. Kuga had underestimated Sōma's power and thought that the drop in quality would be negligible. He'd seen Sōma's Time Fuse Mapo Curry Noodles at the Moon Banquet festival and he knew that, even with the slight drop in quality, his dish was leagues ahead of Sōma's.

He'd overplayed his hand, out of a combination of desperation and arrogance. And Sōma had noticed this, and ruthlessly taken advantage of it. It had almost been instinctive, his desire to crush the cocky second year and, before he'd even properly thought of the consequences, he'd accepted the wager, knowing that, simply by asking for it and revealing how much he'd wanted it, Kuga had sealed his fate.

Sōma opened the door to his room, noting in abject surprise that he'd already made it home and inside without any sort of conscious attention. He must have been very deep in thought. He moved to the closet on the wall, sliding the door open with a soft clatter.

The closet's interior was taken up almost entirely by blue Tōtsuki jackets. Some hung freely while others also had a school tie threaded through the hanger they hung on. The jackets all varied in size and shape, with some being suited for males and others for females.

Sōma pulled down an empty hanger, placing Kuga's jacket on it before depositing it at the end of the line. He took a step back and looked at the hung reminders. It almost felt like visiting a graveyard. Over a dozen mismatched uniforms hung together, all that remained of their previous owners, all of them students that Sōma had personally expelled through his duties as Central's Premier Enforcer.

The line began with Morino Naru's faded blue uniform and was now ended by the fresh addition of Terunori Kuga's blazer. All of them, chefs with potential and ambition, personally cut short by Sōma at Azami's bidding. Kuga hadn't been on the list of students that Azami wanted Sōma to expel, simply because they both agreed that it was too risky to wager Sōma's seat against the former Council member. But he was sure Azami was probably more than pleased with the unexpected turn of events.

Sōma was brought from his musings by a knock at his door and he shut the closet quietly before walking to the door and opening it. Alice stood at the door, a conflicted expression on her face. It had none of the happy embarrassment that it usually had these days when she and Sōma were in the same room.

"Is something wrong, Alice?" asked Sōma guardedly. The girl didn't respond with words, instead handing him an envelope. The wax seal was already broken, and the style of the envelope was familiar; it was clear that it was a missive from the Shokugeki Administration Bureau.

"A messenger just dropped this off at the door. It's for you, Sōma-kun. It's a shokugeki challenge notice. Once I saw who it was from, I may have opened it and taken a peek inside…"

Sōma didn't really mind that Alice had done so. Shokugekis were a matter of public record, after all, but he wondered just what would make her curious enough to open the missive before delivering it to him. A closer inspection of the envelope's address gave him the answer.

 _Shokugeki Challenge Notice_

 _Polar Star Dormitory vs. Central_

Sōma resisted the urge to clench his fists, not wanting to damage the paper he held in his hands. While he wasn't surprised by this, he'd still hoped that he'd have more time before this happened. He didn't know if he was ready to face Isshiki Satoshi just yet, and he couldn't afford to lose this match. He wouldn't be able to protect his friends if they won their independence from Central. From him.

Sōma pulled the notice from the envelope, reading through the notice's first few lines. He blinked twice before reading them again. This time, his fists did clench and the notice crumpled in his hand, almost tearing beneath his grip. His face might as well have been carved from stone from how still it was.

"Ah, Sōma-kun!"

Alice reached forward, trying to remove the paper from his hands without damaging it further. At her cool touch, Sōma's fists loosened, prying open just enough to release the damning paper therein, letting it flutter to the floor.

 _Polar Star Dormitory vs. Central_

 _Central Participant: Yukihira Sōma_

 _Polar Star Dormitory Participants: Nakiri Erina, Tadokoro Megumi_

What was this? Was this a joke? What was Isshiki doing? How dare he let her do this?

Alice saw Sōma start to tremble and she saw a glimpse of the dark emotions he kept down starting to rise from the surface. She took his hand in hers and squeezed, trying to catch his attention. When that didn't work, Alice reached out and pinched his cheek.

The sudden pain caused Sōma to turn on Alice, his eyes alight with fire. She stared right back, not the least bit intimidated.

After a few seconds of heated staring, Sōma blinked, coming back to himself. He sighed, finally returning Alice's cool grip with his own. She smiled at him.

"You need to lighten up, Sōma-kun."

The casual admonishment caused Sōma to smile tiredly at her, the small dose of levity doing wonders for his mood.

"Now, let's talk about this like civilized people. How are you going to handle this?"

Sōma frowned, his smile whisked away by the reminder.

"I don't know…I knew this match was coming, but I'd assumed it would be against Isshiki-senpai. It simply made the most sense. I don't know why he would risk the dorm like this, I don't know why he'd risk _her_ …"

Alice blinked, surprised at the bitterness in Sōma's tone.

"And even if she beats me, this won't be the end. I'm not…I can't protect them. Not yet, not this soon."

"Sōma-kun, you're not making any sense. To be honest, I thought you'd be more concerned about your father's role in this."

Sōma tilted his head at Alice, confused.

"What does Pops have to do with this?"

Alice returned his look of confusion.

"Sōma-kun, did you not read the notice in full? Specifically the conditions of the match?"

Alice picked up the wrinkled piece of paper and did her best to smooth it out before handing it to Sōma. He looked over it curiously. He'd simply assumed the conditions were the standard for the survivor's purge. They were anything but.

 _Proposed Conditions:_

 _Central's Victory – The Polar Star Dormitory is disbanded immediately, with its land, resources and facilities being allocated to Yukihira Sōma. Its residents must receive at least a week's notice of eviction prior to the forceful closure of the dormitory. In addition, Yukihira Joichiro will renew his teaching contract with Tōtsuki Culinary Academy for an additional three years._

 _Polar Star Dormitory's Victory – The Polar Star Dormitory will maintain its current standing. In addition, Yukihira Sōma must have a meeting with Nakiri Erina and Tadokoro Megumi in which he answers any questions posed honestly and in full. Yukihira Joichiro will be freed from his teaching contract once the current school year has ended._

The paper fell to the floor once again, Sōma's grip failing completely as he struggled to process what he just read. As he began to understand, to _really_ understand what he'd just read, his face changed and what Alice had only glimpsed before came out in full force.

He walked past Alice, not even looking at her as he exited through the door, his steps barely contained.

"Sōma-kun!"

He didn't turn to face her, instead continuing his march towards the entrance of the mansion. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he shook it off, roughly. A second attempt was met by the same treatment and Sōma reached the door, wrenching it open.

"Yukihira Sōma!"

Alice's voice was incensed. Sōma paused, just barely, and looked over his shoulder at her.

"Don't follow me."

And then he left the furious girl in his wake, knowing but not caring that he'd pay for it later. Alice watched him march off down the driveway, resisting the urge to run after him and hug him, kiss him and punch him all at once. She was fairly certain that she knew exactly where Sōma was going, and that was the only reason she let his actions slide, however temporarily.

She just hoped he found what he was looking for, whatever that was.

* * *

"And that is how _Eggs Benedict_ came about, at least in the form that we are familiar with today."

Joichiro underlined a particular line before turning to face the class of ninth graders, who were all scribbling furiously into their notebooks. He looked over at the board, wondering if he should erase it. He needed the space after all.

As his hand reached for the eraser, he heard sounds of protest start to emerge from behind him, which only got louder as his hand moved closer to the eraser.

A knock from the door interrupted his hand's progress, causing the students to let out a collective sigh of relief.

Joichiro moved towards the door to open it, but the person chose to take the initiative and open it themselves. Joichiro looked into the coldly furious face of his son and he sighed mentally, having expected this.

"Hey there, Sōma. Need something?"

Joichiro's lax tone seemed to only infuriate Sōma even more and he stepped into the room, drawing the class' attention to him; a regretful mistake.

The children all shrank back in their chairs, wearing almost identical expressions of fear. The sheer malice Sōma was emanating could almost be tasted and it made the students, all confident members of the middle school branch of Tōtsuki, shake in their boots.

Joichiro noticed the sudden hush that had fallen over his class.

"Sōma, what say you and I take this to my office?"

The red headed boy just continued staring at his father. He was breathing hard, as if he'd just ran a sprint and his stoic expression looked like it was hanging on by a thread of a thread. Joichiro narrowed his eyes in response.

"It wouldn't do to cause a scene, son. My office. Now."

Without a word, Sōma turned, slamming the door behind him with so much force that the hinges rang harshly in protest. Joichiro turned to his class, who were staring at the closed door in confused terror. They'd all heard of Central's Premier Enforcer, but it was something else to see him in person. Was that maelstrom of fury what all of his opponents had to suffer under? No wonder he was practically undefeated!

"Well, considering we were almost done with the lesson anyway, how about you all just use the rest of the class to discuss what we've covered today? Feel free to leave once the bell rings."

With those words, Joichiro left the class, his students breaking into furious conversation the second the door closed behind him.

Joichiro walked down the hall, opening the door to his office and finding Sōma within. The Central chef stood by the window, his hands gripping the pane, his knuckles white from the strain. Joichiro walked forward and sat behind his desk, sighing as he leaned back in his chair. It didn't take long for Sōma to break the silence.

"How dare you?"

Sōma looked over his shoulder to fix his father with a glare that burned cold, as paradoxical as that seemed.

Joichiro returned his glare with a calm, even stare.

"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific."

"You know what you did. You got involved."

"Yes. I did."

At the blatant admission of guilt, Sōma gave a wordless snarl and slammed his hands on the window pane. Ignoring the throbbing in his palms, he turned to face Joichiro, his face contorted in anger.

"You weren't supposed to interfere! You swore you wouldn't."

"I told you I would take no direct action. And I haven't."

Sōma gritted his teeth, almost hissing as he spoke.

"So wagering your tenure, the ONE thing Nakiri Azami would care about more than almost anything, that's not a direct action?"

Joichiro shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm a teacher now, Sōma. And one of my students asked me for help. What was I supposed to do?"

"She's not supposed to be involved. That was part of our deal. She would stay out of this."

"She's also an independent woman capable of making her own decision, Sōma."

Sōma blinked at his father's words, his anger briefly sputtering before igniting again, even hotter. He took a step forward, looking as if he wanted to physically lash out against his father.

"So this is my fault? I'm wrong for wanting to protect her from him?!"

"No. She's your friend. It's noble to want to protect your friends from harm. But at the end of the day, this is her life, Sōma. You can't make these sorts of decisions for her. I told you that, months ago."

"And I told YOU, months ago, that I wasn't going to take that risk. She wasn't ready then. And she's not ready now. You were supposed to give me a year. Instead you're trying to give me less than two months!"

"How can you know she's not ready, Sōma?" countered Joichiro heatedly, finally responding to Sōma's anger with some of his own. "You didn't speak with her then, and you haven't spoken to her now. You're making assumptions again."

"You haven't seen what he did!" shouted Sōma. "You don't know what he's put her through! How can I let her go back to that? How can I let her make her own choices when he can just tell her what to choose?"

"That's not a decision for you to make, Sōma. It never was. It was wrong of me to let this stand for as long as I have."

Sōma looked into his father's eyes, finding compassion and concern there but, above all, resolve. He wouldn't convince Yukihira Joichiro to back down here.

"Months ago, I came at your call and saved you from your own stupidity once, when you assaulted Nakamura. I'm trying to do that again. You just have to let me."

"Let you? No one _lets_ Saiba Joichiro do anything, do they? What choice have you left me with?"

"The right one, I hope."

"You think I don't know how much you hate it here, being tied down to this school, Dad? You're making me choose between you and her."

"No. I'm making you relinquish control of the situation. There's a difference. Can't you see what it's doing to you? Or do you simply not care?"

Sōma sat down on the chair heavily, trying to get his breathing under control. He looked away from Joichiro's judgemental gaze, ignoring the ring of truth in his words.

"Everything I've done, everything I've been through. It's been for her. All for her! Isn't this what you and Senzaemon-sama wanted? You wanted me to save her, right? Isn't that why I'm here in the first place?"

"Not like this. NEVER like this." said Joichiro, narrowing his eyes at Sōma's accusatory tone. "I never intended for you to give yourself up for her. This wasn't supposed to be some trade, Sōma."

"It's too bad then, that things worked out this way. I'm going to save her, dad. That's all there is to it. "

"You…you don't need to Sōma. Not anymore. You've done enough. You simply need to step back."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"You know why!" Sōma shouted, his eyes wide in barely restrained fury, the gold inside them almost molten in the heat of his gaze. "Mom wouldn't. Mom DIDN'T. So how could I?!"

"And you think Kumi would have wanted this? Her only son sacrificing himself like this?"

"She did it for me. She always did. But someone like you wouldn't understand that, would they, Asura?"

At Sōma's words, Joichiro's face grew cold and angry, an older mirror of his son's. He stared at Sōma, who stared back defiantly. Seconds passed in tense, bitter silence.

"Leave."

Sōma stood up threateningly.

"I'll leave when you retract your decision to be involved in this shokugeki."

"Then I suppose I'll be the one leaving, because I'm not retracting anything."

Joichiro stood up, walking around his desk and towards the door. He felt a hand grip his shoulder and he paused.

"Dad…please…"

The fury had left Sōma's tone, leaving behind nothing but desperation and vulnerability. Joichiro looked over his shoulder, at the withdrawn, panicked expression on his son's face.

Joichiro shrugged Sōma's hand off of his shoulder.

"Make sure you lock the door."

With those parting words, Joichiro left his office, closing the door behind him, leaving Sōma standing alone in the office, his heart torn as he fought with himself. If he won, he'd be locking his father into three more years of a life he didn't want. And if he lost…if he lost…

He couldn't lose. He just couldn't.


	13. Chapter 13

Nakiri Erina stood in the kitchen of the Polar Star Dormitory, going through the motions of making dinner. It was her turn on the dinner shift, something she appreciated as it was a lot easier than tilling the ground or dealing with Buta and his little army of animals.

The dish of the night was one she'd made several times before, Poached Salmon with Tarragon. It was a light meal, made up of salmon fillets, green beans and potatoes primarily. This, along with a large pot of miso soup, would be what she served to the rest of the dormitory. Her experience with the dish, combined with the drill-like training she'd had under Joichiro, meant that she had more than enough mental energy to spare to think about just what had been nagging at her for the past few days.

"Yen for your thoughts, Erina-chan?"

Erina blinked, looking up from the sizzling fish into the softly smiling face of Isshiki Satoshi. The second year was lacking his usual attire (or lack thereof) and was instead dressed in a white dress shirt with black slacks. He held a messenger bag slung over his shoulder, a sign that he was about to head out or had just returned, which was the most likely reason for the fundoshi's absence.

"Ah, Isshiki-senpai, it's nothing, really…" said Erina, trailing off. While what she and Megumi were doing wasn't exactly a secret, she also wasn't exactly sharing her inner conflict with just anyone; especially considering how central a certain red headed young man was to it. It wouldn't do for word to spread about just how much Erina was doing for…

"Does this have something to do with Sōma-kun?"

Erina started stammering almost immediately, even as her hands expertly divvied out the portions to the plates and bowls she'd set out beforehand.

"That's…w-w-well, you see…t-t-there's a perfectly good reason!"

Once each dish had the proper serving of food, Erina placed the pot back on the stove, yanking the oven mitts from her hands angrily. She glared at the smiling boy, who just continued staring at her, his face telling her that his question was more rhetorical than anything else.

"H-How did you know that?"

"I have my ways, Erina-chan."

"And…well…so what if it does?" responded Erina defensively. Satoshi waved his hand, laughing.

"I'm not judging you for it, Erina-chan. I just wanted to see if I could be of some assistance. You looked like you needed someone to talk to."

Erina continued looking at the boy, the blush beginning to fade from her face as she pondered. The former seventh seat was very intelligent, more than most gave him credit for with his silly antics and perpetual cheer. She was aware of that more than most, having seen him as both a fellow Council member and a Polar Star resident. Just look at what he'd done in response to the Azami's administration swift takeover of the school. He'd legitimized the shokugeki rules for the independent entities of Tōtsuki singlehandedly, implementing them in such a way that, even months after his dismissal, they still held strong.

Isshiki Satoshi was a shrewd and clever young man. Maybe he would be able to give her the answers she needed.

"Well…senpai, as you know. Yukihira has been working under my father for the past few weeks as Central's Premier Enforcer. In addition, he's cold and withdrawn, borderline emotionless even and…"

Erina paused.

"…and I have it on good authority that there are other, more distasteful things he's been subjected to. But he isn't being forced! He's doing it willingly. He's going along with my father's ideals of his own free will and I just…I…"

"You don't understand why." said Satoshi, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Erina nodded.

"And I can't seem to get any answers. He's made his father promise not to say anything, and I've tried asking some of the other students that work for Central but no one's divulging anything. I even tried arranging a meeting with my father, but he refused to see me."

Satoshi's eyes widened.

"You actually tried to meet with your father, Erina-chan?"

Erina nodded, her expression guilty. The relief she'd felt when she'd gotten the notice from her father's head of security that he refused to see her had made her feel even worse than the initial fear she'd had when making the request in the first place.

"So…I believe the only way for us to get any answers is by force."

Satoshi understood immediately and he nodded in acknowledgement of the idea. The ruling of a Shokugeki may as well have been absolute at Tōtsuki. Sōma, even as he was now, would be bound by the ruling, no matter the outcome.

"So that's you and Megumi-chan's plan. You're going to have a tandem duel against Sōma-kun. But what exactly are you going to…"

And that's when Satoshi saw the problem.

"Sōma-kun has no reason to accept your challenge, does he?"

Erina shook her head in frustration, turning to the fridge to pull out two large pitchers of iced tea.

"Exactly. There's nothing we have to offer up as stakes. At least, nothing that would warrant a full disclosure of whatever secrets he and my father have been keeping. If I still had my seat, I could've used it but that's clearly not an option."

Erina's back was to Satoshi, so she completely missed the surprised look he gave her in response to her words. Wagering a seat on the Elite Ten was no small thing, and for Erina to even suggest that she would've put hers at risk for a few simple answers was telling, in and of itself.

Satoshi said nothing as he watched Erina fill several glasses with tea. He looked at the furrow in her brows and the worried, pinching of her lips that had nothing to do with the large jug in her hands, and he came to a decision.

"I think I may be able to help you, Erina-chan. However, it seems dinner's just about ready, so how about we save our discussion for after we've enjoyed this wonderful meal you've prepared for us?"

Erina was a bit taken aback that Satoshi had come up with a solution so quickly, but she didn't question her good fortune. She nodded, a grateful smile creeping onto her lips.

"That would be most helpful, Isshiki-senpai. Thank you."

Erina turned once again to replace the iced tea pitchers she'd taken from the fridge.

"In that case!"

Erina stopped moving, a chill running down her spine at Satoshi's sudden enthusiastic exclamation. She turned, slowly, as if that would change what was.

"Ha! Ha!"

Erina was greeted to the sight of Satoshi's naked rear as he waved it once and then twice in her direction. It almost seemed to sparkle in defiance of her embarrassment. Satoshi danced out of the kitchen in his pink apron, heading towards the dorm stairs.

"Soup's on, everyonneeeee!"

Even after months, Erina still felt powerless before Satoshi's Naked Apron Assault.

* * *

"Nakiri Erina nails it yet again!" said Yuki happily, leaning back in her chair as she patted her belly. An empty plate and glass sat before her, picked clean by the Game Mistress.

"I must agree. This was amazing. I don't know what you and Megumi have been doing Erina-chii, but keep it up." said Ryoko, her smile just as wide as Yuki's.

The rest of the Polar Star Dormitory members were talking amongst themselves, all praising Erina's cooking to various degrees. The chef in question sat at the end of the dinner table, not quite beaming in pride. It was to be expected, after all.

"Who's on dish duty today?" questioned Daigo as he nibbled on a green bean.

"I am." answered Shun simply, standing up. He began to circle the table, collecting the used plates. As he picked up the plate in front of Yuki, his hand brushed hers. A blush formed on his face that was almost directly mirrored by the one on Yuki's. Shun didn't move his hand for a few seconds, and Yuki didn't comment on that fact.

As Shun finally began to raise the hand that held Yuki's plate, his ascent was stopped by Yuki's hand grabbing his sleeve.

"Um…would you like some help, Shun-kun?"

"Ah…that would be welcome, Yuki-chan."

The wide smile he got in response only caused Shun to blush further.

The two seemed oblivious to the rest of the dorm that watched their interaction closely, some amused and some exasperated. One person in particular, however, merely seemed confused.

"Ibusaki-kun, I wasn't aware that you required assistance. I'd be more than happy to lend a hand."

Shun turned to look at Erina, who had been the one to extend the offer to help. He opened his mouth but was cut off by Yuki.

"No, no Erina-chii, that's fine. I've got it."

Erina blinked at the girl.

"But I'm already dressed for it." she said, highlighting the dirty chef's uniform she wore. "Besides, didn't you just finish bathing? There's no need for you to-"

"It's FINE, Erina-chii!"

Yuki all but dragged Shun towards the kitchen, the stack of plates he held teetering dangerously as a result. Erina watched the pair leave, taken aback at the girl's odd insistence. She turned to Megumi, who was sitting next to her and had been watching the entire exchange.

"Did…did I say something out of turn, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi fought the urge to roll her eyes, and instead just nodded, giving her friend a tired smile.

"In a way. But don't worry about it too much Erina-chan."

Despite the blue haired girl's assurance, Erina still felt a bit confused but she decided to push it to the back of her mind in favour of addressing more important matters. She turned to face Satoshi, who sat at the other end of the table, still nude aside from the teddy bear stamped apron.

"Isshiki-senpai, are you ready to finish our discussion?"

Satoshi nodded, standing up.

"Certainly."

That was all the warning Erina had before a large, pink mass of fabric hit her in the face, blinding her.

"WHAT?!"

"OH MY GOD!"

"SENPAI!"

"ISSHIKIIIIIII!"

The panicked shouting of her friends caused Erina to jump in surprise and she scrambled to remove the apron from her face. When she'd finally cleared her vision, she saw Satoshi standing where he'd always been, clad in the slacks and button up shirt she'd seen him in earlier. The faces of the other Polar Star residents ranged from shock, awe and, in Ryoko's case, flushed admiration. Megumi's eyes were wide and she looked like someone had just smacked her in the face with a very large object.

Erina stared in shock at the impossibly clad form of her upperclassman, who just smiled back at her benevolently.

"Shall we go, Erina-chan? Megumi-chan?"

* * *

"So, as I'm sure you all noticed, Sōma-kun has made it clear that the Polar Star Dormitory is a target for the purge once again."

Satoshi, Megumi and Erina were gathered in Erina's room. The two girls were seated on the bed while Satoshi stood at the window, staring out at the grounds of the building. His expression was still light and kind, despite the seriousness of the subject matter.

"We haven't received an official challenge notice from Central yet but I'm sure that one is coming, sooner rather than later."

"Ano, senpai." interrupted Megumi hesitantly, raising her hand as if she were in class. "That's actually something I've been wondering about. I thought Polar Star was saved when Sōma-kun defeated Eizan-senpai?"

"I thought the same, Megumi-chan. So I was just as confused when I heard Sōma-kun's speech. I inquired further and found that the results of the shokugeki between Sōma-kun and Eizan-kun were deemed illegitimate and thrown out accordingly."

"Illegitimate?!" asked Erina, her eyes wide. While it wasn't completely impossible for a shokugeki's ruling to be overturned, it was still rather unheard of. There would have to be some sort of blatant act of sabotage or misconduct, proven and verified by the Shokugeki Administration Bureau. And even that was difficult to do, depending on how the violation occurred, as was proven by Eizan's match fixing scheme. It said a lot about Satoshi's political manoeuvring that he'd been able to get the results of those particular duels rendered invalid using Sōma's match with Eizan as the catalyst.

Which begged the question as to how the match itself had been rendered illegitimate.

Satoshi nodded, his face losing some of its cheer.

"I dug further, and found that, a week or so before Sōma-kun's return in February, the match results were challenged and summarily thrown out. It seems that, during the duel, there was a point where Eizan interfered with Sōma's cooking. He purposely turned off Sōma's burner. Based on the timing, it had little effect, if any at all, but…"

Satoshi shrugged. Megumi and Erina more than understood the implication. Interfering with someone else's cooking during a Shokugeki bordered on sacrilege. At the level the students of Tōtsuki operated at, the slightest shift in seasoning or temperature or any of the hundreds of other nuances involved in the cooking process could make or break the entire dish.

When such a rule was violated, even accidentally, it was grounds for immediate forfeiture and further punishment dependent on both the level of the interference and the importance of the match in question.

"But Isshiki-senpai, if Eizan-senpai was deemed to be in the wrong, then shouldn't that mean the ruling stood since it was Sōma-kun that won the match?" asked Erina curiously.

"That would be the case normally. But, as it turns out, it was Sōma himself that challenged the results. He pushed for the results to be voided and, as both the winner and the wronged party, it was his right to do such a thing."

Megumi's face fell at Satoshi's statement. What hurt her more than the revelation, though, was her lack of surprise at it. She wasn't shocked at all by such a thing. Before, she would've sworn on her life that Sōma would never do anything to harm the Polar Star Dormitory or the friends he'd made here, but he had. Of course he had.

 _ **Because of her…she did this to him…**_

Megumi felt the dark impulse whisper in the back of her mind and she clenched her fists, resisting the urge to glance at Erina. She was her friend, one of her treasured companions, a fellow Polar Star resident.

 _ **And just whose room did she steal, hmm? Out of all of the available spaces, she took THIS room, didn't she?**_

Megumi looked down at the burn mark at the centre of the room, a remnant of Joichiro's time in Polar Star from years past. The heat that must've caused it paled in comparison to the heat she felt in her chest, as the anger suddenly flared up.

"Megumi-chan?"

Megumi blinked, looking up at Satoshi's inquisitive face.

"Uh, I'm sorry senpai. Did you say something?"

Satoshi didn't respond immediately, instead choosing to just fix the girl with a curious look. He didn't comment though, and instead just repeated his previous statement.

"I was simply saying that I was going to challenge Sōma-kun on behalf of the Polar Star Dormitory. I'd planned to do it sometime this week, after I was done with my final exams. But, considering you and Erina-chan's impressive growth, coupled with your need for stakes, I'd be willing to allow you two to act in my place."

"Isshiki-senpai?!" exclaimed Erina, looking up at the second year in surprise. "We couldn't let you risk Polar Star's future like that!"

Megumi nodded, in agreement with the blonde.

Satoshi smiled down at the two girls, his eyes closing.

"Megumi-chan. Erina-chan. You ARE Polar Star's future. You, Ryoko-kun, Yoshino-chan, Shun-kun…all of you are the future of this special place and it would be remiss of me to deny you the opportunity to protect it. Especially considering the admirable job you all did the first time."

"But that was when we had…"

Megumi stopped talking, trailing off. She didn't need to complete her sentence for the other two occupants of the room to understand what she was about to say. Last time, they'd had the redheaded chef from Yukihira's on the front line, facing off against the Elite Ten member determined to destroy their dorm. Now the tables had turned and that same redhead would BE the Elite Ten member looking to destroy them.

"Megumi-chan."

She looked up into Satoshi's warm, green eyes. They stared back at her with pride.

"I have the utmost faith in you. In both of you. I know you can do this."

Megumi couldn't help but smile in response to the utter confidence in Satoshi's voice.

"Thank you, Isshiki-senpai." said Erina, no less stunned by the complete faith the older student had in both of them. "We won't fail you."

"I know you won't." said Satoshi, his smile unwavering. With that simple statement, he exited the room, hearing the two girls break into discussion as he closed the door behind him. As he began to walk down the hall, he pulled his phone out, dialling a number and putting it to his ear. After a few rings, he heard a voice respond.

"Good evening…yes I've spoken with them. I've given them my approval."

"Great, great. I can't thank you enough for taking this chance on them, Isshiki-kun."

"No thanks needed, I have faith in my precious kōhai's abilities. But are you sure this will work? There's no guarantee he'll accept the revised conditions, after all."

"Which is why I'll simply have to add some extra incentive. Something Nakamura won't be able to resist. He won't let Sōma say no to this challenge, I assure you." said Joichiro, smiling grimly into the slim phone he held.

* * *

"Eh? Joichiro-sensei, why would you do such a thing?" asked Erina, blinking at the older man. She was standing in front of his desk in his classroom. He'd asked her to come and meet with him after classes were done for the day to discuss the details for their upcoming shokugeki request and offered his tenure at Tōtsuki as further leverage onto the current stakes.

"Erina-chan. There are things my son wants, things that matter much more to him than the fate of Polar Star. You won't be able to get the answers you seek with that alone. He'll just deny your conditions straight out. But with this…"

Joichiro tapped the shokugeki request form on his desk that she'd given him. Scrawled black handwriting indicated amendments he'd made to the previous conditions.

"I can guarantee that your father won't let him refuse. My continued existence at Tōtsuki's something Nakamura would be hard pressed to give up, I assure you. He'll care little for whatever fringe benefits you toss in alongside it."

Erina looked down at the paper, puzzled.

"But Joichiro-sensei, why would my father be so invested in you staying here?"

Joichiro shrugged, his expression just a bit too casual.

"Your dad's a complicated man, Erina-chan. I knew him for years back in the day and I still didn't really understand some of the things he did. I'd be hard pressed to understand why he does what he does now, after all this time. But I'm sure this will work, so you and Tadokoro-chan will just have to put the fruits of your training to good use, huh?"

The entrance to the classroom opened and Megumi burst in, panting. She jogged up to Joichiro's desk, trying to catch her breath.

"Ah, speak of the devil! Tadokoro-chan, we were just talking about you."

Megumi bowed hastily.

"Sorry for being late, Joichiro-sensei. I came as quickly as I could."

Joichiro waved her off, smiling amusedly at the girl. He quickly filled her in on what she'd missed and her reaction was much the same as Erina's but Joichiro was firm and, in the end, both girls agreed that his plan had the highest chance of getting them across the stovetop from the enigmatic red head.

"Well, now that that's settled, I've got one final task for you both. And with this, I'll declare your apprenticeships under me complete. At least for the time being. Follow me."

Joichiro led them out of the classroom and to the DCT kitchen, a familiar place that Erina and Megumi had come to both love and hate over the course of their training. Their usual stations were, surprisingly, completely bare. Usually, Joichiro would prep the kitchen beforehand, stocking their stations with the ingredients they would need for what they were going to prepare but there was no sign of that here.

"You didn't prepare any ingredients this time around, Joichiro-sensei?" questioned Megumi in confusion. She'd also noticed the oddity.

Joichiro pulled a whiteboard in front of them, flipping it with a smirk. Written on it were three simple words:

 _Match the customer._

Megumi blinked at the words before looking at Erina, who seemed just as confused as the bluenette.

"Today, I don't have any set recipe or ingredients for you to use. Instead, your only duty is to match your dish with the customer."

"The…customer?" asked Erina, looking around the room. Unless someone else had a penchant for hiding in the ceiling space, she was fairly certain that they were the only people inside the kitchen.

Joichiro nodded.

"Correct. And, in this particular case, the customer is the two of you."

Erina and Megumi looked at each other again before looking back at Joichiro, who laughed at the completely baffled looks they sported.

"To be more specific. Erina-chan, you will cook a dish for Tadokoro. And vice versa. It can be whatever dish you like, as long as it can be prepared in less than three hours, using the ingredients we have on hand. Of which I've bought extra, just for the occasion."

Joichiro gestured to the stocked cabinets and refrigerators that sat on the side of the classroom.

"You two have come far together in these past few weeks, farther than I'd even thought you could. And now, I want you to put everything you've learnt into making a dish that you think will please the other. Make a dish that embodies the other person and what they mean to you; it can be as complex or as simple as you desire, the only true requirement is that it must be something you couldn't see yourself making for anyone else."

Erina and Megumi locked eyes. The conflict in Megumi's golden eyes was clear but she didn't say anything, simply turning to face their teacher. Erina's face fell and she turned to face Joichiro as well.

"Ok, Joichiro-sensei."

And with that, the two girls got to work.

Their skills had certainly improved, that much was clear. Megumi and Erina moved through the kitchen like smooth machines. Their movements were almost too perfect to be human but also too natural to be anything but. Erina sliced at almost dangerous speeds while Megumi stirred her pot, her movements precise to within a quarter rotation.

After what couldn't have been longer than an hour, each girl had finished their dish. They brought the covered plates to a small, dining table that Joichiro had set up for them. They placed the dishes down, before taking their seats opposite each other. Joichiro sat to the side, his face propped up by the hand he held under his chin.

He looked between the two girls, who both seemed to be doing their best to look at anything but each other. After a few minutes of silence, he cleared his throat pointedly, catching their attention.

"Food's getting cold, you know." he said, smiling cheekily at them.

"R-Right." said Erina hesitantly. She took a deep breath before reaching forward and uncovering the dish that Megumi had made for her. Megumi followed her example and both girls looked down at the food before looking up at each other.

Megumi picked up a pair of chopsticks, her actions mirrored by Erina.

"Itadakimasu."

With that, the girls began to eat.

* * *

Darkness. Complete darkness surrounded them both. The two girls stood across from each other, perfectly visible despite the sheer blackness of their surroundings. Erina looked at Megumi, her face near tears.

 _You hate me._

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. Erina's mouth moved.

 _I'm so sorry._

Megumi's face was twisted, her expression filled with something that usually only lurked at the back of her mind.

 _You did this. You caused this. You took him from us. You took my best friend away from me!_

Erina stepped forward, her hand held out beseechingly.

 _I'm sorry. So, so sorry._

Megumi took two steps forward and viciously smacked the hand Erina held out before her.

 _Not good enough. Not even close!_

Erina drew her hand back, cradling the stinging flesh.

 _Then what? What can I do to make it right?_

Megumi screamed, a wordless noise. Erina stepped back even further, as tears began to fall from her eyes.

 _You can do nothing!_

Erina began crying in earnest as she held her face in her hands.

 _Why? Why can't I do anything?! Please, just tell me. I'll…I'll do anything…_

Something in Megumi's expression changed as she watched Erina cry, sobbing noiselessly as tears ran down her face. The darkness paused in the face of such pure and honest emotion.

 _No…no…you can't._

 _WHY?!_

Erina looked up, the tears on her face still flowing even as her sadness was joined by anger. Anger at Megumi. Anger at Sōma. But most of all, anger at her own helplessness. Her own inability to act, to fix things.

 _I should be able to do something, I just want you to forgive me. What can I do to make you forgive me?_

 _There's nothing you can do to make me forgive you, Erina-chan!_

Erina stepped towards her friend and Megumi took a step back in turn, trying to stay away from the girl.

 _There has to be something, Megumi-chan. I don't want you to hate me. Forgive me, please!_

 _You can't do anything, Erina-chan. You can't…you can't…._

 _Why not?!_

 _Because it's not your fault!_

Erina looked at her friend in surprise, her face still wet with tears. She shook her head.

 _That's not true; it's my fault. It's all my fault. All of it. It always is._

 _NO!_

Megumi gripped Erina's shoulders, staring into the girl's purple eyes. Her sincerity shone forth, the dark emotions beaten back in the face of who she truly was.

 _Sōma-kun left. He's the one that gave up on us. On me._

 _But it was my father that did this to him. To you._

 _That shouldn't matter._

Erina glared at the other girl through her tears, sadness swapped for fury in a single blink.

 _But it does, doesn't it? I've seen how you've looked at me. I've seen it, even though you deny it. I can feel it. In here._

Erina placed her hand over her chest, right where her heart resided. Megumi's arms fell from Erina and she stepped away, a guilt ridden expression on her face.

 _You hate me for something I never wanted and never asked for._

 _I…that's….true. And I'm sorry._

 _So then forgive me._

Erina looked at the other girl, her previous fury exchanged for desperation.

 _Forgive me and stop hating me. Please._

 _I can't. I won't. Not until we get him back._

 _So you're just going to go on hating me for something I can't control? Is that it?_

Megumi looked at Erina, two sides of herself at war on her face. She tried to lie. But there were no lies in the bared soul of a chef.

 _Yes. That's it._

* * *

The two girls stared at each other, light and colour fading back into the world. Once again, they sat across from each other at the small dining table in the DCT kitchen. Two empty plates sat before them, the only remnants of the meal being the stained sauce on their plates and the memories of the conversation that they'd had through their cooking.

Erina's face was stone. Her expression didn't move, even though she still had track marks on her face and her eyes still shone wet with tears. Megumi's expression was horror struck, and she reached out towards her friend, her fingers trembling.

"Erina-chan, I-"

"That's it, isn't it, Tadokoro-san?"

Megumi closed her mouth, drawing her hand back. She couldn't bring herself to deny what the other girl had said. They would've both known she was lying. The darkness that had been eating at her for weeks; that she'd been pushing down and repressing for so long had been set loose and bared before Erina through her dish.

"I'm sorry. Really."

"Yes, you've made that very clear."

Erina's voice was dismissive and cold, reminiscent of how she'd been long ago, when she'd stood on a pedestal above those around her. She stood up, the sudden movement causing Megumi to flinch.

"Joichiro-sensei, I will be taking my leave. Thank you for all of the assistance you've given to us."

Joichiro tilted his head, wondering what had just been learnt in the exchange that the girls had through their meal. He could only speculate that, whatever was revealed, hadn't been good, if their subsequent reactions were anything to go by.

"No problem, Erina-chan. You and Tadokoro-chan were great apprentices. I wish you the best."

He held out the official shokugeki notice for Erina to take.

"Good luck against my son."

Erina nodded, sparing the man a small smile as she took the notice from him. She left the room with a flick of her hair and a slam of the door. Joichiro looked over at Megumi, who was staring down at her plate with a despondent expression.

Joichiro felt a brief flash of concern. He'd assumed that having the girls express how they felt about each other would only bring them closer as friends and make them that much more capable in the coming battle. But it seems he'd miscalculated. The question was just how grave the implications of his miscalculation would be.

* * *

"Enter."

Sōma opened the door to the Director of Tōtsuki's office. He entered, closing the door behind him as he strode to stand at attention in front of Azami's desk, his posture ramrod straight and his face expressionless.

Azami glanced up at Sōma, his eyes cool.

"Sōma-kun. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Without a word, Sōma withdrew an envelope from his jacket, placing it on the desk in front of Azami. The man took it up, opening it and withdrawing the paper from within, idly noting the wrinkled edges. He glanced over the paper, already familiar with its contents.

"Is there something you need to discuss with me concerning your upcoming match with my daughter, Sōma-kun?"

"Yes, Azami-sama. I believe it would be in our best interest to decline the revised conditions presented by Polar Star Dormitory. I propose we use the original rules dictated by the survivor's purge."

Azami looked up at Sōma and he smiled. The gesture would've been almost playful, were it not for its utter falsity.

"Absolutely not."

Despite the fact that he'd expected such a response, Sōma still felt a sense of grating annoyance at the Director's abrupt refusal.

"Azami-sama, I implore you to reconsider. If we allow these revisions to stand, we will set a precedent that the other independent organizations will leap on. Revised conditions and terms will turn what should be an orderly disbandment process into a nightmare."

Azami leaned forward, looking at Sōma over his folded hands. His dark eyes, while usually empty and cold, held something else on this particular occasion. A particular spark and passion that few could incite in the Nakiri.

"I could care less, Sōma-kun. You are free to deny any forthcoming revisions from any of the other research societies or seminars. But this…this particular revision will stand. No matter your objection."

Sōma folded his arms, giving Azami a hard look that bordered on a glare.

"Azami-sama, if I may be so bold. This is clearly some sort of ploy or trick. It would be inadvisable to accept it outright."

Azami's eyes hardened and his stance shifted, almost threatening.

"The way I see it, there's no room for any sort of mischief in these terms. As long as you are victorious, that is."

Azami's eyes bored into Sōma, completely abandoning any sense of levity or kindness.

"Are you suggesting that you will lose, Sōma?"

Sōma looked into Azami's eyes without flinching; even as his mind raced. Before he could respond, Azami continued speaking, each word honeyed poison.

"When we began our little… _arrangement_ …you assured me that, until such a time as our arrangement is concluded, you would become everything my daughter was, and more. And. More. Do you recall that, Yukihira?"

Azami practically spat out the surname, as if it were a curse. Sōma could only nod, hoping Azami didn't notice the way he clenched his teeth behind his lips.

"And more…that would imply that you would be better than she was, wouldn't it? It would imply that, should you go up against Nakiri Erina in any manner, you would emerge the victor. Academics, cooking, business. It matters not the field. You should best Nakiri Erina. Isn't that what we agreed to, months ago?"

Sōma could only nod again, feeling the part of his wrist that sat under the chain itch.

"If you can't fulfill such a simple stipulation, Sōma-kun, then what conceivable reason would I have for fulfilling any of mine?"

"You don't need to concern yourself, Azami-sama. I will defeat her."

"Good." was all Azami said, before looking down at the files in front of him, a clear sign of dismissal.

He could practically feel Sōma's burning desire to continue protesting, despite the fact that he wasn't even looking at the boy. But the shackles he'd instilled long ago held and, with a simple bow, the boy left the office. Azami heard the door to his office close and then, only then, did he allow a smirk to creep onto his face.

Things couldn't have worked out better. He briefly wondered why his daughter would bother to dirty her hand but disregarded the thought as unimportant. What was important was that his daughter's arrogance would lead to both the destruction of one of the final holdouts against his absolute domination of Tōtsuki and an extension to Saiba-senpai's tenure to Tōtsuki. The man had originally agreed to be a professor under his administration for a single year, throwing in the remainder of the current school year as a sort of bonus.

But now, he would get four…four entire years to mould Saiba-senpai back into the man he was supposed to be. Azami knew that those additional years would turn what was only a possibility into a certainty.

The revival of the Asura had never seemed more in his reach than it did right at this moment.

* * *

Sōma opened the door to the Nakiri mansion, resisting the urge to throw it open. The way he was now, he'd more than likely send it off of his hinges. It had happened before. Sōma closed the door behind him, slamming it with a rattle that seemed to shake the entire house. He marched forwards, heading to his room before pausing in front of a large portrait on the wall.

It was a painting of a woman. She had high cheek bones and a rounded face. Her hair was a bright, rich blonde and her face was framed by two bangs that curved around the sides. Her eyes were a light purple, the colour of lilacs. She was smiling serenely down at Sōma, clad in a yellow, pearl studded dress, seated in a high backed leather chair.

Sōma didn't say anything, his anger momentarily quelled by the image of the woman before him. He felt a presence come up behind him, one he recognized.

"Katsumi-oba-chan certainly was beautiful, wasn't she?"

Sōma looked over at Alice, who had joined him in staring at the portrait. Her expression was one of sadness as she stared at the painting. Sōma didn't respond to Alice's question, as it was more rhetorical than anything else. A blind man could tell you that Nakiri Katsumi was beautiful.

"I can't believe it's been so long…it feels like just yesterday that Erina and I were nagging her to bake us cookies. Even though that was over ten years ago, now…"

"She was friends with my mother, you know." said Sōma softly. Alice turned to him, blinking in surprise. Sōma's expression was still cold and withdrawn, but his eyes had softened. Flinty bronze replaced by warm gold.

"Senzaemon-sama had come down to Yukihira's for the day to meet the woman that had been responsible for beating the Asura. He'd brought Katsumi-san with him. She and my mother just clicked. I guess because they were so similar. Two women burdened with upholding their families' respective legacies in the cooking world."

Sōma raised his hand to trace the embossed name plate that bore Katsumi's name in fine, gold leaf lettering. The chain he wore on his hand clinked softly with each movement.

"Your mother was friends with Erina's, Sōma-kun?" asked Alice.

Sōma nodded, his hand falling.

"Yea…it's almost funny, in a twisted sort of way."

"What do you mean?"

Sōma continued to stare up at the former matriarch of the Nakiri family.

"Dad always says that he made three great mistakes in his life. And that one of those mistakes was convincing Mom to let him introduce Nakamura Azami to Katsumi-san all those years ago."

The statement took Alice completely off guard. Joichiro was the reason her aunt had even met Azami?

"Why would he do something like that, Sōma-kun?" questioned Alice. Sōma shrugged.

"Apparently, Azami-sama was a different man back then. Or so my father thought…"

Once, Sōma would've thought that someone changing so completely, the way Azami must have, was unthinkable. But when he looked at what he'd undergone, at what he himself had become, in three short months, he realized that it wasn't so farfetched that Nakiri Azami was once a completely different sort of human being almost twenty years ago.

"Sōma-kun…"

The tone in Alice's voice had changed completely and Sōma looked over at her, to find a single, ruby red eye staring up at him, almost menacingly.

"I hope you know that this discussion of past misgivings won't save you from me."

Sōma sighed. The little known bit of trivia hadn't exactly been an attempt at diverting the girl's attentions, but it would be a lie to say that Sōma wasn't hopeful it would serve as one.

"Alice, look. I'm so-"

"No." she said, cutting him off. "You don't get to say sorry until I know why you did what you did. Now spill."

Sōma turned to face Alice fully, who was giving him a look that made it clear she wasn't budging on the issue. Sōma looked conflicted, something dancing behind his eyes that Alice couldn't place.

"I…it's complicated, Alice. It involves some things that I can't tell you. I really can't."

"Why, Sōma-kun?" she asked insistently, reaching forward and grabbing his wrist. "Don't you trust me, even now?"

"Of course I do." he stated. "But there are still things I just…can't talk about. Please, Alice."

His tone was insistent and Alice hated the way she felt herself start to cave. She was better than this. He needed to know that she wouldn't bend to his will simply because he asked. She was still a Nakiri.

"Sōma-kun, I know that you have secrets. I understand that, really, but you have to understand that I'm simply concerned. The way you stormed out of here told me that whatever happened was important. And I need to know why. Even if you can't give me the full story, just share what you can. I can't help you if you keep it all locked up behind that stupid chain of yours."

Sōma looked into that red, pleading gaze and he felt something in him unwind. One of the many shackles instilled in him by his training came free and he felt his mouth begin to move.

"Alice…when I left, months ago, it was because Azami had offered me a deal. A deal that I couldn't afford to turn down. One of the conditions was that my dad come to teach at Tōtsuki for a certain amount of time. And once that time is over, so is our agreement. And I just needed to make sure that sh-that everything was ready for when that inevitably happens. My dad was supposed to leave at the end of next year but, as you saw, that will no longer be the case once my shokugeki with Erina and Tadokoro-chan happens."

Alice felt like she understood. Some of it, anyway. Whatever Sōma had with her uncle, it would end once Joichiro left the school. She didn't know exactly what that implied but she could imagine that, based on Sōma's reaction, it wasn't anything good. She was tempted to ask him just what it was, but she felt that she'd gotten all she could out of the boy. At least for now.

"Alright then. Fine. Now you can say you're sorry."

Sōma blinked down at the girl, who smiled up at him with a hint of mischief.

"You didn't explain much, Sōma-kun. But you explained enough to pass. This time, anyway. So go ahead, say you're sorry."

"I'm…sorry?"

"With feeling!"

Sōma looked down into Alice's adorable, pouting face and couldn't stop his smile.

"I'm sorry for lashing out at you and storming off, Alice."

Alice nodded, satisfied.

"Good. Now we just have to see about your punishment."

"My punishment?" asked Sōma confusedly. Alice took Sōma's hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. The resulting warmth caused both teens to smile fondly at each other for a moment before Alice tugged at Sōma's hand, pulling him towards the living room.

"Yes. Your punishment. I'm going to do what any good girlfriend should; make you sit through a stupidly romantic movie with me."

"Girlfriend?" asked Sōma in surprise, blushing mildly. Alice stopped walking. The hand holding Sōma's tightened, just a bit.

"Well, that is what I am to you isn't it?"

Alice looked back at Sōma, her cheeks a brilliant red. She knew exactly what she'd said, and she knew how big of a step that was, for the both of them, when she'd said it. Her hand started to tremble as nervous butterflies burst into existence inside of her stomach. She ignored the self-doubt that was currently yelling at her that she'd been too forward, too soon.

"I wouldn't kiss just anyone, you know. Who do you think I am?"

Sōma looked down at Alice's vulnerable, flushed face. He felt something in his chest; something warm and safe and he gripped Alice's hand tighter, in assurance. A _plink_ resounded as he unclasped his chain.

"My girlfriend. That's who."

Alice's face grew even redder as she started to smile giddily, the butterflies fading away to be replaced by a warm feeling of happiness. She began to pull Sōma behind her with even more fervour.

"Well, come on then _boyfriend_. We're in for a night full of gooey romance and sappy love soundtracks."

Something inside Sōma knew that, as a man, he should be warded off by such things. But the rest of him didn't really care and just focused on the warm, small hand that he held in his own.

He settled down onto a large, plush cushion that Alice directed him to and she joined him on it after queueing up the DVD player. She snuggled into his side, her arms encircling his chest and her head resting on his shoulder in a way that he really, really enjoyed.

It wasn't until halfway through a movie about what seemed to be a time traveling mailbox that Sōma realized that Alice's complaints about how comfortable her favourite cushion were indeed true and he found himself dozing, worn out from the stresses of the day.

As his head lolled back and his eyes began to close, he groggily turned to look at Alice, who'd already dozed off completely, if her closed eyes and light snoring were any indication. He pulled her in closer, burying his nose in her hair as his thoughts continued to fade and sleep began to take him. His last thoughts were that she smelt like warm sugar and apricots.

* * *

"Alice-san. Alice-san, are you here?" called out Hisako. She knocked on the door to the mansion again, curiously. None of the cars were missing from the garage, and it was fairly late in the evening, so she was almost certain the girl would be home.

Alice had been out of touch recently. She responded to texts or calls but it had been weeks since anyone had seen her or Ryo outside of the classroom. Erina had asked her to stop by and check in on her cousin, along with inviting her to dinner at the dormitory. It was Yuki's night to cook, and Alice had always liked her dishes, considering how different the gamey cuisine was to her own particular brand of cooking.

Hisako pulled out a key, wondering if the locks had been changed since Erina had left the mansion months ago. A quick twist and click gave her all the answer she needed, and Hisako opened the door, knocking again on the open portal.

"Alice-san? Kurokiba-kun?"

Hisako entered the main foyer, looking around. She saw no sign of her two classmates, although she did notice that she could hear what sounded like music coming from the direction of the living room. Maybe they were watching something and couldn't hear the door knocking over the volume of the television?

Hisako walked into the living room, calling out a greeting as she saw two people sitting on a cushion in front of the television.

The first thing she noticed was that the two occupants of the room were asleep. The second thing was that one of the occupants was a complete and utter surprise.

The third thing she noticed was the affectionate manner in which the two were holding each other, with Alice splayed across Sōma, her face buried in the crook of his neck. The boy's arms surrounded the girl, keeping her pinned to him, not that either of them seemed to mind. It was this last detail that prompted Hisako to shriek in surprise.

"YUKIHIRA!"

Hisako's shriek had been anything but quiet, and the sudden burst of noise caused both Alice and Sōma to jerk awake, surprised. Sōma moved to jump to his feet, half asleep but reacting instinctively. Unfortunately, he failed to account for the pale girl sprawled over him and only succeeded in rolling both of them off of the cushion onto the hardwood floor.

He groaned, the back of his head aching from where he'd hit it on the floor as he struggled to figure out just what was going on. He opened his eyes to find Alice's wincing face a few inches from his own. The girl was lying on top of him, her arms around his neck. He was uncomfortably aware of just how flush her body was to his.

"Ah, Sōma-kun…"

Alice opened her eyes, just as groggy and confused as Sōma was. The two locked eyes, the last vestiges of sleep beginning to fade as they realized that their faces were very, very close.

"ALICE-SAN!"

And that they had an audience. Alice yelped, scrambling backwards and hopping off of Sōma as if he was on fire. Sōma sat up, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up into the embarrassed face of one Hisako Arato.

"W-W-What are you doing here? And what are you doing with Alice-san?!"

Sōma blinked up at the girl, resembling nothing less than a deer in the headlights. He scratched his cheek, searching for something to say.

"It's…nice to see you after so long, Hishoko-chan?"

"You as well, Yukihira-kun…wait, I refuse to accept such a blatant deflection Yukihira!"

Sōma got to his feet, shaking his head to rid himself completely of his nap induced grogginess.

"Are you sure? I'll make you something if you do."

The sheepish smile he gave the purple haired girl surprised her. His entire demeanour was surprising, actually.

"Yukihira-kun, what's happened to you?"

"Ah, I'm afraid it's a rather long story, Hishoko-chan."

"It's Hisako." the girl corrected absently. Sōma smiled at her in response, laughing.

"I know. I know. Force of habit, sorry. What brings you here tonight, Hisako-chan?"

"Erina-chan asked me to check in with Alice-san and- wait a moment! Stop dodging my questions. And stop trying to sneak away Alice-san!"

The aforementioned girl froze, her foot almost across the threshold to the foyer. She drew it back, pouting at being caught.

"Now, Erina-chan asked me to check in with you Alice-san, you haven't spoken to any of us in weeks and then I come and find you cuddled up with Yukihira-kun?"

The aide's stern, no nonsense tone caused Alice to shrink in response, cowed by the admonishment. Hisako turned her heated gaze on Sōma, who found himself a touch intimidated by the girl's ire.

"And you, it is absolutely deplorable what you've been doing to the rest of us! Do you know how worried we've all been about you, Yukihira-kun? You disappear like a ghost for months on end and then return with no warning and no attempts made to get in touch with any of us. How are we supposed to feel?"

"Hisako-chan…"

Sōma's face changed, his cheer replaced by a conflicted look of guilt and shame.

"I can't tell you why I'm doing what I'm doing. Soon, maybe. But not yet, not now. You'll just have to trust me."

"That's not good enough, Yukihira-kun. Do you know how concerned Erina-chan has been for you?"

Sōma froze at the mention of the Nakiri heiress' name. His eyes widened and he felt the edges of a familiar feeling start to creep onto his chest. A terrible feeling.

"Erina's been worried about me?"

Hisako narrowed her eyes at the boy, her hands on her hips.

"Of course she's been. She feels like whatever has happened to you is all her fault since her father's clearly the one to blame for what's happened to you."

"That's not right."

Sōma felt a clawing sensation in his chest and he struggled to keep his breathing even. He looked down at the floor in panic, his eyes roaming, searching desperately for something.

"She's not to blame. She never was. She didn't deserve what happened to her. She really didn't."

"Yukihira-kun?" queried Hisako, watching the way the boy's shoulders started to tremble.

Sōma looked up at Hisako, as if seeing her for the first time. His expression was equal parts fear and shame. He opened his mouth to speak but Alice interrupted his attempt.

"I think it's time for you to leave, Hisako-chan."

Hisako turned to look at Alice, who was eyeing Sōma with an unreadable look.

"Alice-san…?"

Alice looked at the girl, giving her a tight, close lipped smile.

"You can tell Erina that everything's fine. I've just been rather busy the past few weeks is all. But, right now, there's some pressing matters I should address. So would you please take your leave?"

Despite her tone, it was clear that the Nakiri wasn't asking a question. Hisako looked confused by the sudden turn of events, looking to Sōma who was still staring off into the distance, muttering softly to himself.

"Hisako-chan, please. Go."

Hisako gave Alice one final, questioning glance before bowing and leaving the room.

Alice watched her go, waiting until she heard the firm thud of the front door closing before turning to face Sōma, who was still standing, muttering to himself. She stepped towards him, pulling a silver chain from her shirt pocket. She took Sōma's wrist and wound the metal around it, securing it with a soft click.

Sōma gasped, his heartbeat calming as he felt the familiar chain bind him in place. He looked down at Alice, who was scrutinizing him closely. She continued staring at him, as if attempting to burn a hole in his head.

"Sōma-kun. Soon. You WILL explain all of this to me. Understood?"

Sōma went to nod but Alice jabbed him sharply in the chest with her finger, stopping him short.

"Actually, scratch that. I'm not leaving this at some vague notion of soon. I'm picking a date."

Alice thought briefly before hitting on a day that seemed perfect to her.

"Your cooking duel with my cousin is this weekend, correct? How about then?"

Sōma wanted to deny the girl; to tell her that it really wasn't any of her business but soft kisses and whispered words held him back.

 _Then I'll fix you._

"Alright."

Alice blinked up at him, surprised by the relatively easy acquiescence to her terms. She wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth though and leaned forward, pulling Sōma's face down to hers for a firm kiss. After a few seconds, she let him go and looked up into his blushing, calm face.

"There. It's a deal, sealed by a kiss." she said, grinning impishly. Sōma could only smile softly at the girl's antics, even as, in the back of his mind, he felt the weight of the agreement he'd made settle in. In a few short days, so much could change for him. Would change for him.

Which made the now that much more important.

Sōma reached out and hugged Alice to him, the sudden move surprising her. Usually, she was the affectionate one, especially when Sōma had his chain on, but she wasn't going to complain. She hugged him back, hearing and feeling his heart beat in his chest.

"Do you want to see if we can actually get through the movie now, Alice?"

"You know we won't, Sōma-kun. But sure, we can try."

As they moved to settle back into the cushion, Sōma thought about the girl in his arms, wondering if, once she got the answers she wanted, she would still be there. Once she knew just what he'd sacrificed and just who he'd sacrificed it for, how would she feel?

He really couldn't say, and the thought of not knowing that somehow terrified him more than Azami ever had.


	14. Chapter 14

Alice yawned as she felt herself start to wake up. She resisted her body's attempts to rouse itself, attempting to snuggle deeper into the cushion under her. She wasn't quite ready to leave its soft, plush interior just yet. Her arms reached out for a half remembered source of warmth but found empty air instead. She patted the indentation in the cushion beside her with a vague sense of confusion.

It took a few groggy seconds for the Nakiri to connect the dots and, when she did, she groaned, the disappointment bringing her fully into the land of the waking. She liked waking up wrapped around Sōma and, considering she was much too classy to invite him into her bed after a few short weeks of dating, these movie-turned-sleepover sessions were her only opportunity to do that. So she was more than a little annoyed that he'd seen fit to leave without even waking her.

Alice sat up with a huff, looking around the living room to confirm that the boy wasn't anywhere nearby. He wasn't. Alice flopped back down, her eyes resting on the ceiling. She wondered if she'd make the effort to get up and on with the day but then she remembered that she didn't have any exams scheduled for the day.

While this didn't mean she was going to laze around all day as a result, Alice felt significantly less guilty as she closed her eyes to catch a few extra minutes of sleep.

"Hey, you."

Or at least, that had been the plan. Alice wondered if pretending to be asleep would cause the vaguely familiar voice to go away. And then she wondered why a voice she only barely recognized was in her house at all. Understandably, the latter point was much more important than the former.

Alice's eyes snapped open and she found herself face to face with an annoyed looking Akanegakubo Momo. The petite girl was kneeling by Alice with her signature purple, stuffed cat doll held in her arms. She was glowering down at Alice, the cat ear styled buns on her head almost quivering.

Alice didn't know how to respond and so she just kept looking at the older girl, feeling conspicuous with her night gown and bed head. After a few seconds of utter silence, Momo narrowed her eyebrows at the girl and struck her softly on the head with her stuffed animal, catching Alice off guard. This, along with Momo's expectant look, finally prompted Alice to say something.

"Good…morning, Momo-senpai?"

Momo didn't respond to Alice's hesitant greeting and instead just continued glowering at the girl.

"How'd you get into my house?"

"Someone let me in."

Alice's eyebrows rose and she finally sat up, doing her best to fix the mess that was her hair in the morning. Based on Momo's frown, she was almost certain her efforts were useless. She covered her mouth, doing her best to repress a yawn as she pondered just why she would be receiving a visit from Tōtsuki's resident confectionary genius, but she couldn't think of any conceivable reason for it.

As if sensing Alice's confusion, Momo pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to the girl. Alice opened the paper, idly thanking the pâtissier as she noticed the note was written in Sōma's handwriting.

 _Nakiri-ojou, don't be alarmed. I ran into Akanegakubo-senpai as I was leaving the mansion this morning and she expressed a desire to sample some of your cooking. I'm not sure why, but she can be rather insistent when she's set herself on a course of action. Good luck._

Good luck? Why would she need luck? Was this some sort of hidden exam?

"Momo-senpai, would you like me to make you something?"

A nod.

"Ah, have you eaten breakfast yet?"

A shake of the head.

"Splendid. Just give me a moment to go upstairs and freshen up. I'll be back shortly."

A glare.

"Or…or I could get started right now?"

With one final nod, Momo got to her feet, exiting the living room abruptly. Alice watched the fourth seat walk off towards the kitchen and she sighed to herself as she got to her feet. She took a glance at the dormant television screen to see that, while still not ideal, her hair had flattened into some sort of order. It would have to do.

Alice walked towards the kitchen, finding Momo having what appeared to be a hushed conversation with her stuffed animal, which she'd placed in a chair beside her. She stopped speaking once she noticed Alice's entrance, choosing to look at the wall instead of Alice.

Once, such difficulty would've irritated the heaven sent child of molecular gastronomy. But she'd gained a new level of tolerance from working at Yukihira's and instead just found the older girl's antics almost amusing. As she began to take out ingredients, she spoke again, her tone casual.

"Any preferences Momo-senpai? I usually like something light to get me started, how does miso soup and rice sound?"

Momo didn't say anything but Alice took the lack of reaction as a negative and switched tactics.

"Or perhaps we could do western? It'll take a little longer but I don't have anywhere to be, do you?"

"That's fine."

Despite the dullness of the response, Alice was almost certain now that she knew exactly what to make. She didn't know Momo personally but she'd definitely heard of the girl and of her exploits in the kitchen. It had been several years since a pâtissier had graced the Elite Ten Council with their presence. Confectionary chefs, while not outright stigmatized, weren't taken nearly as seriously as more conventional chefs, making Momo all the more impressive for what she had accomplished.

Alice pulled two pans from the cupboard, placing them on separate burners that she'd turned on. A quick half step took her to the fridge, where she grabbed milk, eggs, butter and a few other, miscellaneous items.

She cracked the eggs into a bowl, whisking them with a practiced hand before leaving the bowl on the counter as she opened the pantry, eyeing her ingredients. She snatched a few things from the cupboard, stacking them expertly in the crook of her arm before snapping the door shut and moving back to the stove.

She sifted flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together into a large bowl, analysing the fineness of the resulting mixture carefully. Judging it sufficient, she added the milk and eggs into the mixture, stirring them together until she was left with a smooth, yellow batter that she began to ladle into one of the pans.

Momo watched Alice work carefully, her expression hidden by the cat doll she held over her face. Her dull green eyes followed Alice's movements, noting how calm and at ease the freshman was, despite having been awoken mere minutes ago by an Elite Ten Council member.

The warm, doughy scent in the kitchen was soon accompanied by the smell of cooking meat as Alice placed sausages into the other sauce pan that she'd had heating. A swift series of cracks caught Momo by surprise and she saw that Alice had added a series of eggs into a third pan. When had the girl had the time to get another pan ready?

Alice hummed softly to herself as she moved between each pan. Multitasking like this wasn't all that challenging. Not compared to trying to juggle four orders in her head while serving another two. She flipped the pancakes, adding to the small stack she'd started building on a plate.

"Do you like your eggs runny, Momo-senpai?" she asked, eyeing the soft, yellow centres. She noted Momo's almost imperceptible nod and removed half of the eggs, placing them on a plate. A few more flicks of a spatula and the remainder of the pancakes were finished and, after a few more flicks, her eggs were also done, the centres soft but not quite liquid, just the way she liked them.

Alice turned off the burners before picking up each plate, balancing the four ceramic dishes like they were nothing. She placed a plate of pancakes, eggs and sausages in front of Momo, accompanied by a smaller plate of toast. The pancakes had berries strewn across the top and a healthy square of butter at their center. The sausages were a plump, dark color and they had steam wafting off of them, evidence of just how fresh from the pan they were.

"Please enjoy! And thank you for dining with Yukihira's!"

At Momo's questioning glance, Alice realized what she'd said and she chuckled, her cheeks flushing.

"Ah, sorry Momo-senpai. Force of habit, really. Also, I didn't know how you preferred your toast, so I gave you a dark slice, a medium slice and a light slice to choose from."

Alice placed a few bottles and containers in front of Momo, pointing to each one in turn.

"Here's syrup, honey, cinnamon, powdered sugar and, if you're feeling adventurous, chili pepper flakes."

"Chili peppers?" asked Momo, tilting her head at the little container of red flakes that Alice presented to her.

"It's a bit unorthodox, I know, but it can give your pancakes an added kick, if you really like spice."

Momo wasn't a fan of spice but she, like any other Tōtsuki student, was always curious about new innovations in cooking. And she'd never heard of anyone using peppers as a pancake topping before. She sprinkled them lightly over a pancake, before drizzling some syrup on it and taking a bite.

She felt a burst of sweet, baked flavour accompanied by a mild, spicy edge that didn't detract from the pancake's taste in the least. Instead of conflicting, the spice and sweetness seemed to work together to bring her enjoyment of the food to even higher levels than they would've done separately.

"It's good." said Momo, doing little to hide her surprise.

It wasn't just the chili flakes by themselves; the pancake itself was thicker and had a bit more body than the average pancake. That was part of why the flavours could both reside harmoniously in the dish; they had the "space" to.

"Thank you, Momo-senpai." said Alice, taking a seat next to the purple haired girl at the kitchen bar. She began to eat as well, choosing honey and confectionary sugar as her toppings. Both girls continued to eat their breakfast, the silence almost peaceful where it had been awkward and tense before.

"I'm surprised, Nakiri-kun. Most of the underclassmen I've met with have tried to ply me with sweets and other baked goods, because they assume that, because it's my specialty, that's what I would want them to make for me."

Alice took a second to ponder the fact that she'd never heard Momo say more than four words until just then. And then another second to wonder why Momo was meeting with underclassmen at all, considering how anti-social the girl seemed to be. Alice decided to leave her curiosities aside for the moment, in favour of responding to Momo's statement.

"Those people are fools, then."

Momo looked curiously at Alice, who continued to eat calmly, slicing her sausages apart with keen precision. After a few more bites, she continued speaking as she daintily dabbed her face with a napkin.

"I understand the impulse, I suppose. But it seems like a foolish idea to try and impress someone by mimicking their style. You're the best pâtissier in Tōtsuki, period. Anything you make in that area would be leagues ahead of what I could produce for you."

"You submit that easily, Nakiri-kun?" asked Momo. Her tone wasn't one of condemnation, more of idle curiosity. Alice looked at the girl, a mischievous smirk playing across her lips.

"It's not submission; it's about knowing yourself and your own limits. There's nothing saying that your cooking would be ahead of mine forever, Momo-senpai. But I'm almost certain that I'd be unable to come close to topping anything you made in the dessert field."

Alice got up and started tidying the kitchen, stacking the plates and used utensils at the sink. She opened the fridge, reaching up to the top shelf for a square, plastic container that sat there.

"That being said…a part of me still wants to see what you'd think of my confectionary work."

With a cheeky grin, Alice slid the container towards Momo. She looked down at the box before looking back up at the girl. At the expression of challenge in her red eyes.

Momo wondered just what Alice had presented her with, considering how certain the girl seemed that her confectionary knowledge didn't hold a candle to hers. Momo opened the box, looking down into it.

"Chocolate?"

In the box were several pieces of white chocolate. Each of the pieces was hand shaped into a different form. Flowers, snowflakes and hearts were the main theme of the box, and each piece looked like it had been crafted with both precision and care.

"Not exactly, Momo-senpai. I was saving these for Sōm…someone, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you had a few pieces. Go ahead and try one."

Momo picked up a white flower, finding it soft and cool to the touch. She placed it in her mouth and her tongue was hit by a hint of silky chocolate flavour before being completely overwhelmed by the taste of strawberries. Cool, soft strawberries.

"This tastes like ice cream." said Momo, doing her best to hide just how impressed she was.

"You'd be right, Momo-senpai. These aren't chocolates at all. They are ice cream bits masquerading as chocolates." said Alice, leaning forward and plucking a heart shaped piece from the box. She broke it open and showed Momo the inside.

"I made the ice cream myself and used moulds to press it into the shapes I wanted and then coated them in white chocolate. Each piece has a different ice cream flavour at its center. This particular piece had pistachio, a personal favourite of mine."

Momo took another piece from the box, the mellow taste of vanilla filling her mouth. She could feel herself smiling, ever so slightly, as she took out another piece at random. She bit into it and found that it was filled with coconut flavouring. It was like a game. You didn't know what you were going to get until you were already eating it.

She was certain that she could make better tasting ice cream. She had done it before, after all. But the sheer novelty and fun that Alice brought to the table with this little box was very impressive. Momo took another piece, her mouth almost melting at the taste of mouth-watering caramel. One of her favourite toppings.

"How do you like it, senpai?"

Momo looked up at Alice, who was smiling confidently at her, her eyes alight with expectation. Momo thought for a moment, biting into another piece of ice cream (rum raisin!) as she continued to think. Finally, she looked up at the girl.

"Bucchi approves." was all she said, tapping the stuffed cat doll in the chair next to her. She hopped down out of the chair, pulling the stuffed animal into her arms as she did so. With a short bow, she walked away from Alice, the movement confusing the younger girl.

"Senpai?"

Momo either didn't hear Alice or chose not to respond. Alice watched Momo exit the kitchen, wondering where the girl was going. Perhaps she needed to use the bathroom? But how would she know where it was in the first place?

It was only when she heard the front door open and shut that Alice realized that Momo had left the mansion just as oddly and abruptly as she had entered earlier that morning. Alice went to go after her but, upon passing a mirror and realizing she was still in her nightclothes, thought better of it and decided to go on with her day instead.

She'd simply have to ask Sōma if he had any idea why the fourth seat had been here. He was on the Elite Ten with her, after all, so hopefully he could shed some light on things for her. She briefly wondered where the boy had run off to. She knew he only had a single final today, and it was scheduled late in the afternoon, so there shouldn't have been any reason for him to run off so early.

Deciding to grill him about it (and maybe guilt him into a few apology kisses) later, Alice went upstairs, whistling a tune to herself as she thought about what she would work on today. She had the whole day to herself, so she would definitely be putting it to good use. Very good use.

* * *

Sōma stepped into the kitchen, looking around for the person he'd come to meet. It seemed they hadn't arrived yet.

He turned on the lights and walked inside, taking a seat at a stovetop. He looked down at the surface with a touch of wistfulness. And then he looked over at the cabinets, which were almost fully stocked with ingredients. He felt a desire well up in him; one that was usually suppressed in exchange for controlling himself or planning out his next steps.

Sōma allowed himself a small grin. It had been a while since he tried to make something truly terrible, hadn't it?

After a few minutes, Sōma looked down at the sizzling sauce pan in front of him. He'd gone with the classic squid tentacle as his base, but, rather than honey or soy sauce, he decided to use some of the spice combinations he'd used in his match with Hayama. Once he'd put the sauce on the tentacles, the smell that hit his nose was terrible. If he'd been a weaker chef, he would've gagged on the spot.

Which meant it was perfect. Sōma took up a hot sauce drenched tentacle and placed it into his mouth. He bit down and found himself accosted by a sickly, decrepit version of the dragon he'd used to beat Hayama. The decayed looking creature roared at Sōma, its breath stinking highly of dried squid. Sōma was almost blown off of his feet by the sickly, purple miasma it emitted.

Sōma was brought back to reality by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to face bright green eyes.

"Ikumi-chan, it's been a while."

The blonde girl smiled at him confidently, crossing her arms. Even though she hadn't really gone anywhere, it had still been weeks since Sōma had seen his ally. Her time had been monopolized almost completely by Rindō in the senior girl's attempts to make her stronger, and Sōma could see that all of that effort hadn't been in vain.

The Meat Master had an entirely different air about her. She carried herself with a weight and confidence that simply wasn't there a few short weeks ago. Rindō hadn't been exaggerating when she'd promised Sōma that she could work with the girl.

"It certainly has, Sōma-kun." she said. And then she lashed out and punched Sōma in the shoulder, causing him to almost fall from his seat. After an undignified scramble that resulted in Sōma only barely righting himself, he looked at Ikumi in confusion, to see the girl giving him a flat stare.

"That's for sticking me with that crazy nutjob in the first place. Do you know how insane Rindō-senpai's training methods can be?"

"Ah…Rindō-senpai certainly has a bad habit of going…overboard." admitted Sōma, almost sheepishly. Ikumi continued glaring at him for a few more seconds, before sighing and shaking her head.

"Well. What's done is done, I suppose. More importantly, we should- oh wait, what's that?"

Ikumi had only just now noticed Sōma's simmering sauce pan of spicy squid tentacles. Her eyes lit up and she grabbed the chopsticks out of Sōma's hands eagerly.

"Ah, Ikumi-chan, I don't think that's the best…"

Too late. Before Sōma could even finish protesting, Ikumi had taken a tentacle from the pan and eaten it. Sōma braced himself for the girl's disgusted reaction.

"Oh, this is interesting!"

And was taken completely by surprise. Ikumi reached forward and snagged another two tentacles, smearing them around in the bright red sauce of the pan before bringing them to her mouth and chewing. Her facial expression was one of happiness. Something that should've been impossible, considering what Sōma had just prepared.

"It seems you learnt more than just cooking from Rindō-senpai, didn't you Ikumi-chan?"

Ikumi shrugged, taking up another tentacle and eating it.

"What can I say? She's really opened my eyes to just how much there is to cooking from the other side of the table. There's so much to taste and experience, it would be a waste to let any of it slip by."

"So what'd you think of this, then?"

Ikumi tilted her head at Sōma, pouting as she realized the pan was empty.

"Oh, it was terrible Sōma-kun. Even the stench would be enough to knock someone out. But that's part of what made it so interesting! Something terrible crafted by someone as skilled as yourself was an opportunity I couldn't resist."

Sōma didn't smile but he certainly felt the urge to, at Ikumi's words.

"I see. Well, I must agree. This dish was particularly disgusting. I'm almost proud of myself."

"You should be." commented Ikumi, licking the end of the chopstick she held. "So, let's get down to business Sōma-kun? How are we gonna go about sticking it to that monochromatic bastard?"

"Before we can get into that, I'd like to evaluate your abilities for myself, Ikumi-chan. If you don't mind."

Ikumi grinned, fire in her eyes to match Sōma's cool.

"Gladly. Bring it, Sōma-kun."

Before the two chefs could commence, a knock at the door gave them pause. The door swung open, admitting the tall, sword bearing figure of Saito Somei and a familiar, maroon headed girl.

"Pardon the intrusion!"

Rindō's voice made it clear that she wasn't asking for any sort of pardon. She marched in, Saito following silently behind her.

"Saito-kun needs to borrow Nikumi-chan for a quick second, ok Sōma-kun?"

"May I ask why?" said Sōma, raising his eyebrows slightly, his tone neither confrontational nor conciliatory.

Rindō put her finger over her lips, smirking conspiratorially.

"Nope. It's a secret. Go on now, Nikumi-chan."

Ikumi looked to Sōma who simply nodded at her. The swordsman gestured for her to follow him and turned on the spot, exiting the kitchen at a brisk pace that Ikumi struggled to match, the door slamming shut behind them.

As if the noise was a switch, Sōma noticed a change in Rindō. It was a small, subtle one but Sōma noticed it all the same. He wondered just what he was detecting but didn't have to wonder for long as Rindō turned to him, her eyes half lidded, her lips barely parted.

"Sōma-kun…"

The way she said his name was all but a confirmation and Sōma resisted the urge to step back. It was what she wanted him to do, after all.

"Yes, Rindō-senpai?"

His reply was as calm as ever but he still felt Rindō's heated, slitted eyes pierce through him, able to see the nervousness that was starting to bud within his body. She smiled, the expression almost sinful. Her fangs just barely peeked over the edge of her lips.

"It's been a while since we've… _met up_ …hasn't it, Sōma-kun?"

They both knew what the emphasis on those words implied and Sōma felt himself shift back. Not much, a simple half step, but the movement didn't go unnoticed by Rindō, whose eyes lit up with a triumphant gleam. She stepped towards Sōma, moving towards him until she was directly in front of him, invading his personal space.

She reached out and ran her hand through his hair, almost purring.

"Rindō-senpai…"

Sōma trailed off as the familiar feeling sent what felt like little sparks running through his scalp. Rindō's fingers had always elicited that sort of reaction from him, after they'd started… _meeting_. He closed his eyes as he struggled to clear his mind of the sudden fog that descended on it.

"What's wrong, Sōma-kun? You seem rather stiff. And not in the usual way."

The blatantly suggestive note in her voice caused Sōma to flush and he could almost feel Rindō's grin grow wider in response to it. She never lost her playful spirit, even in these sorts of situations.

"Rindō-senpai. I know it's been a while since we've talked. But things have changed since then."

"You mean since you started dating that little snowflake?" Rindō remarked casually, her fingers unceasing in their movement through Sōma's locks.

Sōma didn't even bother to ask the girl how she knew about his relationship with Alice. Rindō's carefree and mischievous tendencies hid one of the most cunning minds Tōtsuki had ever seen. A fact that had worked to his advantage more than once.

"I don't know if she would appreciate you calling her that. But yes."

Sōma reached up and gently removed Rindō's hand from his hair, the thought of Alice doing much to clear his mind where sheer willpower hadn't. Rindō leaned in closer to Sōma, prompting the boy to lean back from her leer.

"Oh, don't be like that Sōma-kun. Come on, we used to have so much fun before you came back to Tōtsuki, didn't we?"

Rindō planted her nose in Sōma's neck, eliciting a gasp from the younger boy. She nuzzled at his throat, her breath warm against Sōma's pulse point.

"Rindō-senpai, please."

Sōma pushed against Rindō's shoulders, attempting to put some distance in between him and the girl but that only left him open for Rindō's smouldering gaze. Yellow eyes met gold and Sōma found himself drawn in, the same way he'd been all those months ago.

"There's my good boy…"

Rindō leaned in, her lips moving towards Sōma's. She felt the barest brush of contact, of skin against skin, before Sōma pushed her away again, a little more roughly, before stepping away from her. He took one step and then another until a healthy modicum of distance stood between him and Rindō.

The fanged girl pouted in his direction, crossing her arms under her breasts.

"You know, a girl could almost be offended by that, Sōma-kun. You ignore me for weeks and then don't even have the decency to tell that things are over between us."

Rindō sniffed, looking down at the floor as her shoulders began to shake. She clenched her fists.

"It hurts…right here."

She raised a trembling hand and placed it over her heart. She sniffed again, her eyes hidden by her hair. Sōma didn't react to the girl's proclamation, simply staring at her. He finally responded once he heard her sniffle for a third time.

"My compliments, senpai. Your acting's gotten even better since the last time you "confessed" to me."

"Oh, you think so?"

Rindō looked up, her eyes completely free of tears. They held nothing but mischief and glee.

"I was working on that little bit of theatre ever since Tsukasa told me that he thought there was something going on between you and the little Danish snowflake. Did you like the way my hand shook? Oh, Sōma-kun, my poor heart is breaking!"

Rindō put the back of her hand on her forehead, leaning back exaggeratedly. Sōma was not amused by the girl's antics and his expression said as much.

"Why exactly are you here, Rindō-senpai?"

Rindō quirked an eyebrow at him, her grin not fading in the slightest at his cold tone.

"Would you believe me if I said I missed you, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma didn't say anything but his sceptical expression made his feelings on the matter clear.

"Relax, Sōma-kun. Don't you trust me?"

The question was a double edged one and they both knew it. Neither of them had forgotten what Rindō had said all those months ago, when she'd first pledged to help Sōma against Azami.

 _Right now, you have nothing and no one, Sōma-kun. It wouldn't be any fun if you were to go up against Azami-sama now, he'd tear you apart. So I'll lend you a hand. I'll be by your side. I'll do whatever you need me to do until you get to the point where you have the strength to put on a decent show against him._

 _And what will you do then? Once I've reached that point, Rindō-senpai?_

 _That's a good question. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?_

Rindō smiled at the memory.

"You can relax, Sōma-kun. I'm still yours. If you want me to be, anyway."

Sōma didn't react to the suggestiveness in her voice, more than used to the girl's teasing antics when she got in this sort of mood.

"You'll excuse me if I wasn't entirely certain, Rindō-senpai. You can be hard to read, at the best of times."

"Don't worry, Sōma-kun. I can assure you. If the day comes where I am no longer your ally, you will know. Trust me."

The girl's ominous tone made it clear that it was more of a 'when' than an 'if'. Which wasn't surprising, considering what she knew of Sōma's plans and his current progression. The end game was coming and, if all went well, he'd be more than ready for it.

Rindō yawned, breaking the tense atmosphere as she stretched.

"Anyway. Doom and gloom aside, I came here to fill you in on a few things you missed while you were kicking dear little Kuga out of school. As I'm sure you were aware, Azami held the opening meeting for next year's Elite Ten selection around the same time you were having your shokugeki with the shrimp."

Rindō reached into her pocket, pulling out a few folded pieces of paper.

"Here are a few meeting notes your gracious senpai compiled for you."

Sōma took the paper from Rindō, folding them into full sheets. There were three in all. He read through them carefully, noting the relevant details and filing them away to the back of his mind. He paused at one particular paragraph.

"Nominations?" he asked, looking up at Rindō. She nodded.

"Yup. Azami-sama wants each of the graduating members to nominate a candidate for next year's Elite Ten. Apparently our "vote" is going to have some added weight in the trials that follow.'"

"Do we have any details on exactly what those trails would consist of?" asked Sōma, handing the papers back to Rindō.

"WE don't. However I do."

Sōma arched an eyebrow at the girl, not liking the playful tone in her voice. She grinned impishly.

"Just how badly do you want to know?"

"What are you getting at senpai?" asked Sōma stoically. Rindō tapped her chin, as if she was thinking.

"Well, the information is pretty valuable you know, Sōma-kun? No one outside of the Elite Ten has any inkling of what's going to happen."

"I'm part of the Elite Ten, Rindō-senpai. Doesn't that mean that I have a right to know as well?"

Rindō shrugged, her hands held out helplessly.

"Maybe. Maybe not. The point is you don't know. And, considering how clear Azami made it that he was trying to keep you in the dark, I highly doubt you'd get any of the others to tell you anything. Which leaves me as your only option. So I ask again, Sōma-kun…how badly do you want to know?"

Sōma looked into the girl's smiling face, feeling frustration creep into the calm that he was struggling to maintain. Rindō was toying with him and they both knew it. Sōma wanted to know the details of the upcoming challenges. He wasn't going to leave anything to chance, not at this stage. But that meant that Rindō knew just how desperate Sōma really was and just how important this information would be to him. Meaning she had all of the power. And she revelled in it.

"What do you want, Rindō-senpai?" Sōma asked, already dreading her answer. Rindō smiled down at him, as if she was a cat that had finally caught a particularly stubborn mouse.

"Don't look so glum, Sōma-kun. It's rather simple. All you'd have to do is something that you've done before; something that you've grown rather well versed at, if I do say so myself."

Rindō's smile was absolutely predatory.

"It's been a few weeks since we last slept together, _ne_? Give me one last roll in the hay, for old times' sake. Then I'll give you all the information on the selection process for next year's Elite Ten Council."

Sōma didn't react visibly to Rindō's proposal. He continued staring at the older girl who matched his stare gleefully, her smirk not wavering in the slightest.

"So what do you say, Sōma-kun?"

"You know I can't do that, Rindō-senpai."

"Really? I have strong evidence to the contrary, Sōma-kun. Multiple instances, in fact-"

"You know that's not what I meant." Sōma ground out, cutting her off.

"Well, that's my price, Sōma-kun. We've got a few weeks to go yet, so I'll give you some time to come around to the idea. But just know that, with every day you waste, your advantage will get that much smaller."

Rindō turned to leave the kitchen. As she got to the door, she paused.

"Oh, that reminds me. In regards to my nomination, I was going to nominate you. But now…"

She turned to face Sōma, leaning against the closed portal as she did.

"I'm thinking that you'll have to convince me you deserve it."

"And how exactly can I do that?" Sōma asked cautiously. He hoped she was simply asking for a display of his cooking prowess but he knew that, with the way things were going, it wouldn't be anything that simple.

Rindō beckoned Sōma forth with a finger.

"I'll be a bit nicer with this bargain, Sōma-kun. All you have to do is give me a kiss, right here, right now and I'll give you my nomination. How does that sound?"

"Why are you so set on undermining what I have, Rindō?" Sōma growled out, his control slipping, almost violently. Rindō was really pushing his will to its limits. Rindō shrugged again, the movement overly casual.

"Because it's delightfully tragic, Sōma-kun. You have a decision in front of you. Do you stay faithful and drastically increase your chances of losing out on what you've been preparing for? Or do you commit a teeny tiny betrayal that only you and I will ever know about and be that much closer to having it all?"

"Just how much weight would your nomination hold?" asked Sōma, his mind preoccupied with the thought of warm sugar and apricots. As his wrist throbbed and ached.

"A ton." said Rindō simply. "Pegging an exact number's hard but, based on what you'll be up against, it'll be basically impossible to get anything higher than the fifth seat next year without being nominated."

That wouldn't do. Too many things would be left to chance if that was the limit of what he could achieve.

 _Father, stop! It hurts!_

Sōma gritted his teeth, his calm shattering like so much glass as he felt his wrist start to throb in earnest. Warm, red eyes looked up at him, vulnerable.

 _Girlfriend? Well, that is what I am to you, isn't it?_

Sōma clutched the side of his head, closing his eyes as he saw purple eyes looking at him, wide and terrified. Begging for help.

"Fine."

Rindō's eyebrows rose, interested.

"Fine, what?"

Instead of answering, Sōma simply stalked towards the girl until he was practically looming over her.

"One kiss and you'll give me your nomination, right?"

"Yup." said the older girl, feeling victory close at hand. "But you'd better make it a good one."

Sōma looked down into Rindō's cheekily smiling face, the anger sparked by her manipulations hot in his chest. He leaned down, resisting the urge to growl at the girl as his lips approached hers. He paused, right before he made contact, his eyes half lidded.

 _Then I'll fix you._

 _No, please! Help me, Father!_

And then closed the distance, his lips meeting Rindō's. The girl's lips were warm and receptive, but Sōma restrained himself, the kiss lasting barely a second before he pulled back. Rindō looked up at him, pouting.

"Oh no, Sōma-kun. That simply won't do."

Rindō reached forward and tangled her hands in Sōma's red locks, pulling his face to hers. She felt the barest amount of resistance before Sōma submitted to her heated lips, as he always did. She slipped her tongue forward, delicately probing, and found his mouth all too ready to accept.

As the kiss deepened, Rindō slowly retracted a hand from Sōma's head. She opened her eyes, just barely, and found Sōma's eyes were closed. She resisted the urge to grin, instead continuing to do her best to tongue wrestle Sōma into submission as her left hand reached behind her and settled into the door handle.

It was a testament to her concentration that she was able to simultaneously kiss Sōma while sliding the kitchen door open noiselessly behind them. She felt more than heard the person on the other side tense up and continued to make out with Sōma for a few seconds more before pulling back.

Sōma opened his eyes, the haze in his mind clearing as he broke contact with the second seat. He stepped away from Rindō almost immediately, doing his best to fight down the tides of guilt and shame that threatened to sweep him away. He turned away from her, doing his best to regain control of himself.

"So, do I have your nomination, Rindō-senpai?"

Sōma's attempt to sound nonchalant was ruined by the fact that he was still panting as he spoke.

"Hmm…that was definitely a good one, Sōma-kun. You certainly do."

There was something about Rindō's tone. Behind the lack of breath and cheer, there was something…more. Something almost darkly victorious.

Sōma turned to face Rindō, the question on his lips dying as he noticed what he'd failed to notice before he'd turned his back on her.

Rindō turned her back to him, waving cheerily as she stepped through the open door and past the person standing in it.

"Oh my, Kurokiba-kun. How long have you been standing there?"

Ryo's dark red eyes bored into Sōma's shocked, golden ones.

"Long enough." he said simply.

Rindō fought the urge to laugh, instead choosing to just continue walking past the boy as she headed down the hall. She'd noticed someone's shadow looming outside the door as she teased Sōma. She hadn't known exactly who it was that had been eavesdropping on their conversation but she couldn't have chosen a better candidate to "overhear" them.

As the dark haired girl walked away, whistling to herself, the two freshmen were left alone. Neither of them said anything and instead just continued looking at each other. It was Ryo who broke the silence first.

"I should fucking kill you, you know?"

The sentence was said simply and with little heat, in Ryo's usual tone. Sōma looked away from the boy's gaze, clenching his fist.

"I'm no expert but isn't it bad form to kiss other women while you're in a relationship?"

"Listen, Kurokiba-san I-"

"No." the dark haired boy cut him off, his tone calm as ever. "I don't want to hear it. I don't need to hear it. Save your arguments."

Sōma closed his mouth, the condemnation in the port town chef's tone only making the guilt he felt worse. What he'd done was necessary. But that didn't make the consequences any easier to bear.

"I'll give you one night, Yukihira. You get one night to tell her yourself."

Ryo threw something towards Sōma, the item clattering as it turned end over end to land at Sōma's feet. It was a wrapped bento box.

Sōma leaned down and picked up the cloth covered box, finding a note pinned to the top.

 _Here's something I whipped up for you, Sōma-kun. I hope Ryo's successful in finding you. I have no idea how long you're going to be out but you'll need some lunch either way, right? Hurry home so you can give me my apology kisses for running out on me this morning, ok? Thinking of you._

 _Alice_

Sōma felt a pain in his chest, a hot, shameful pain. He looked up to find that Ryo had already vanished. He clearly had nothing else to say to the Central chef. Sōma looked down at the box and the note, running his hands over the package as he felt his chest start to ache.

This wasn't the first time Sōma had made a pragmatic call. He'd had to choose between his head and his heart before, more often than he'd liked. But none of those decisions had ever left him feeling quite this way. He felt his shackles strain as the emotion inside of him fought to get out. To release itself upon the world, in some way.

Sōma stood up, placing the box on a counter as he moved to the fridge. He'd release his frustration the way he always did. Through cooking.

As he set a pot to boil and he started chopping onions, he did his best to ignore how hollow each and every movement felt. His knife work was sloppy and his mind was distracted, a combination that was less than ideal in the kitchen.

Sōma felt a sharp pain in his finger and he dropped the knife, the steel blade clattering onto the counter as he examined the narrow line of red on his index finger. He watched as a single drop of blood started to run down his finger and, all he could think, was that he deserved that and more for his betrayal.

* * *

Erina laid down on her bed, a shōjo manga book held between her hands. Her eyes moved listlessly over the page, only half paying attention to the struggles of the vampire and her once-human lover. She was more than excited when Yuki had first lent her the latest volume of this series. It was coming to a climax, and she was eager to see how it ended but, right now, her heart simply wasn't in it.

Someone knocked at her door.

"Erina-chan?"

Erina recognized the voice and it did nothing for her mood.

"Yes, Tadokoro-san?"

"May I come in?"

Erina fought the urge to snap at the girl, even as she still felt the familiar feeling of guilt that accompanied the anger. It didn't seem to matter how blatantly unfair Megumi was being, it seemed a part of her couldn't help but still feel guilty.

"Alright." Erina said, her tone disinterested.

The door opened, admitting a hesitant looking Megumi.

The two girls stared at each other, neither knowing exactly what to say. This was the first time they'd spoken since their telling confrontation in the kitchen a few days ago.

"How are you?" ventured Megumi.

"Fine." said Erina, turning a page in her book.

"Ah, that's…that's good."

The two fell into an uncomfortable silence again, the only sound being the scratching of paper as Erina turned the pages of her book. After a few minutes of the tense silence, Megumi spoke again.

"Look, I'm sorry Erina-chan."

"Why?" asked Erina, her tone still cool. Megumi blinked at the girl in confusion.

"What do you mean why?"

Erina sat up, turning and placing her legs on the ground. She bookmarked her page and shut the book, placing it at her side, before facing Megumi. Her back was straight and her eyes were distant, looking past Megumi as if she wasn't there.

"You are perfectly justified to feel however you would like to feel, Tadokoro-san. It's not up to me to dictate that."

"Don't do that." said Megumi pleadingly. Erina raised an eyebrow at her inquisitively, her calm unbroken.

"Do what exactly, Tadokoro-san?"

"Don't just withdraw back into yourself, Erina-chan. Don't become that girl you were before you started living with us. Don't act like you don't care."

Erina folded her hands over her knees primly. Her stance was dignified and proper, reminiscent of the days when she was Tōtsuki's Princess.

"Whether I care or not is irrelevant, Tadokoro-san. You've certainly made that clear."

Megumi flinched at the smooth, cold tone the girl used to deliver her words.

"That's not fair." tried the blue haired girl. She regretted her choice of words almost instantly as Erina's eyes snapped to hers, incensed. The blonde opened her mouth, her words positively acerbic.

"You dare to lecture me about fairness, Tadokoro?"

Megumi bit her lip, looking away.

"If...if we can get Sōma back, then I'm sure things can go back to how they always were, Erina-chan."

The assurance only seemed to make Erina angrier, if the way she narrowed her eyebrows was any indication.

"And then what? Do I just wait until something else goes wrong and you start hating me for something out of my control all over again? What'll it be next time? My father isn't going anywhere anytime soon. What happens when he does something that harms another one of your precious friends?"

The way Erina spoke made it clear that she didn't feel like Megumi placed her in that category.

"Erina-chan. I don't….look, I just…"

"You what?" responded Erina heatedly. "You're sorry? I have no need or desire for another one of your empty apologies."

"They're not empty!" protested Megumi, despite the conflict in her heart. "I am truly sorry for hurting you and for the way I feel!"

"Then why can't you change it? Why go on hating me, Megumi-chan?" Erina asked, her haughty façade breaking as she let her emotions run free. "Do you know how much I care about you? How much I _owe_ you for what you've done for me? I mean, even above everyone else, you Megumi-chan…you've done so much for me. I can't even put it into words."

Erina felt her eyes start to moisten but she resisted the urge to sob. She was stronger than that.

"I don't want to live in a world where you hate me, Megumi-chan."

The honest, raw emotion that Erina's eyes held hit Megumi like a freight train and she felt the darkness that sat in her wane before it. It didn't go away, not completely, but it faded in the face of the genuine feelings of Nakiri Erina. It's not that Megumi had ever doubted Erina's friendship, but seeing the girl so unabashedly lay it out to her was a different story.

Erina's dish had made it clear just how sorry and guilty she'd felt about her father's involvement in ruining Sōma. But this was different. This wasn't Erina apologizing or begging Megumi to forgive her. This was Erina saying how much she valued the blue haired girl and how much it hurt to have her turn her back on her.

Erina looked down, averting her eyes from Megumi, a flush coming to her cheeks. She'd sworn that she'd treat the other girl coldly and distantly until they'd won Sōma back. She'd refused to burden the girl with her cloying attempts at friendship until she'd won back the right to do just that, but it seemed she couldn't even keep promises she made to herself.

Before she could regain control of her emotions, she felt two soft arms encircle her shoulders as Megumi's weight settled onto Erina. The blue haired girl hugged the girl closely, trying to convey what she felt through her two arms. Erina felt her blush glow in response to the physical contact, even as she returned the gesture.

"Erina-chan. I'll do better."

And this time, they could both tell, that Tadokoro Megumi truly meant it. With all of her heart.

"I won't lie to you and tell you that all is forgiven…but it's a start." grumbled Erina, clutching the smaller girl to her as she felt the tightness in her chest start to ease, to be replaced by…something else. Erina couldn't pinpoint exactly what that something else was. All she knew for sure was that she'd really missed her best friend.

"Erina-chan!"

Hisako opened the door hurriedly, only to pause at the sight of the two girls held in each other's embrace. The three young women stared at each other in tense silence before the two on the bed seemed to realize their compromising positon. They sprung apart, stammering excuses with identically red faces.

The synchronized actions provoked a laugh from Hisako, even though she did her best to hide her reaction behind her hand. The laughter did nothing to ease Megumi's blushing and Erina choose to channel her embarrassment into frustration, as she usually did.

"Hisako, please! You know it's rude to simply barge into people's rooms without knocking!"

Hisako's laughing began to taper off, although she still had an amused smile on her face.

" _Gomen, gomen_ Erina-chan."

The blonde continued glaring at the purple haired girl, but the gesture contained little heat.

"So what exactly did you need, Hisako-chan? Is it about your visit to Alice last night? I was a bit surprised that you didn't return to the dorm."

At the reminder, Hisako's face fell a bit, as she remembered just why she'd been in such a rush to speak with Erina. She'd returned home after her impromptu meeting with Sōma and Alice at the Nakiri mansion, conflicted about whether or not she should tell her mistress about what she'd discovered. She assumed that they had some sort of reason for keeping Sōma's whereabouts hidden from the rest of them, and she really trusted the redheaded chef, even after his somewhat ominous return.

But still, loyalty to her mistress had won out in the end. And so, she told Megumi and Erina of what she'd seen the night before.

"A-Are you certain, Hisako-chan?" asked Erina in surprise. Hisako nodded.

"Fairly so. I spoke to one of the serving staff, Riza-san, as I was leaving the grounds. She confirmed that Sōma's been residing at the Nakiri mansion for the past few weeks. He seemed to have moved in on the night following his appointment to the Elite Ten Council."

"That's almost a month…" muttered Megumi, dismayed. She'd noticed that Alice hadn't been around as often as she used to be, but she'd simply assumed that she was busy preparing for finals and the end of the year. Not conspiring with their wayward friend behind their backs.

"Just what are you doing, Alice…" growled Erina, a vein throbbing in her forehead as she thought about what she'd say the next time she saw her cousin.

Hisako looked at Erina's angered face and wondered if she should add in her speculation on the relationship between Alice and Sōma. At the end of the day, that's really all it was, but the evidence seemed pretty clear.

"I'm afraid there's more, Erina-chan." said Hisako, nervously toying with her fingers. "It seems that Alice-san and Yukihira-kun are…involved."

"Involved?" asked Erina, looking at Hisako questioningly. "Well, of course they're involved, Hisako-chan. Yukihira-kun and Alice got along fairly well, even before he started living at the mansion."

Hisako was surprised that Erina had taken the news so calmly but then she realized that the girl had simply taken her a bit too literally.

"Ah…that's not what I meant, Erina-chan. I meant… _involved_."

Erina blinked at Hisako in confusion. Hisako continued, her tone patient.

"As in…romantically? Like dating, holding hands, sleeping together?"

Hisako had meant her final phrase innocently. She'd witnessed the two literally sleeping together. Erina, due to general obliviousness and naiveté had taken Hisako's comment at face value as well, though it made her chest ache in a way she wasn't used to. But, to Megumi, Hisako's phrasing took on an entirely different meaning.

"SLEEPING TOGETHER?!"

Megumi's sudden shout startled both Hisako and Erina. The blue haired girl's face looked like it was about to burst from all of the blood that had suddenly found its way into her cheeks. She held her hands to her face, as if that would somehow help her calm down. It didn't.

"B-b-but that's so…we're so…that's completely inappropriate!"

"It...is?" said Hisako, looking at Megumi with surprise and concern. The blue haired girl looked back and forth between the two girls in disbelief.

"Well, yes!" she said, her blush showing no signs of abating.

"Why?" asked Erina innocently, which only seemed to rile Megumi up further.

"You don't think Sōma and Alice having sex is completely indecent?!" shrieked Megumi as she felt what had to have been steam shooting from her ears.

"S-S-S-SEX!" Erina cried, waving her hands frantically as she too started to blush. The thought of Alice and Sōma doing… _that_ …made her feel as if she was about to burst into flames. Whether it was out of anger, jealousy or plain embarrassment was anyone's guess.

Erina turned to Hisako, a mix of fury and embarrassment on her face.

"Hisako-chan, you mean to tell me that Yukihira and my cousin are…are…intimate?"

It seemed to have taken all of Erina's inner strength to say the word, and even then, it barely came out in a whisper. Hisako simply stared back at Erina, dumbfounded, until she was finally able to connect the dots. She started to blush as well, shaking her head from side to side rapidly.

"I…no! I didn't mean sleeping together in that way. I meant literally falling asleep together!"

Hisako's correction did much to calm the other room's occupants down but her next words only drove their embarrassment to new heights.

"Although, I suppose that may be possible. They do live under the same roof, after all."

"Hisako-chan!" shouted Erina, grabbing and throwing the nearest thing she could find at the girl's face. Luckily, said thing was a pillow. Hisako jumped at the attack, only barely catching the cushion before it impacted her face. She looked over it at Erina's blushing visage.

"Just because a boy and a girl live under the same roof does NOT mean that they're…that they're…you know…"

Elsewhere in the Polar Star Dormitory, Shun sneezed, the suddenness of his movement waking up the girl in his arms.

"Ah, Shun-kun! Is everything all right?"

Shun nodded, rubbing at his nose.

"I'm fine, Yuki-chan. I think someone's just talking about me."

The bun haired girl opened her mouth to respond, but then she quickly covered it as she sneezed lightly as well.

"Or us, I suppose." he deadpanned, smiling at the blushing girl. She swatted his bare chest.

"That's not funny, Shun-kun!"

Back in Erina's room, the excitement from the misunderstanding had mostly settled and the three girls sat side by side on Erina's bed.

"So what are you going to do, Erina-chan?" asked Hisako.

Erina held her chin in thought, wondering.

"Megumi and I have our shokugeki with Sōma this weekend. Until then, I propose we keep this between the three of us. After all, if we win-"

"When we win." interjected Megumi quietly. Erina smiled and nodded.

"Yes, **when** we win, he'll be forced to answer all of our questions then anyway, so we can get some proper answers about his relationship with my cousin at the same time. And, with any luck, we can bring him back as well. He'd have no reason to stay away if we knew all of his secrets, right?"

The hope was a distant one, to be certain but it was currently all they had. And Erina was determined to capitalize on it and make it a reality.

"Besides, I need to give this cramped, dusty room back to Yukihira-kun some time. While the loan is appreciated, he should've known that such ill conditions would be unsuitable to one such as myself."

Both Megumi and Hisako could hear the honest concern behind Erina's bluster and it made them both smile, as they each thought back to the reserved, almost snobbish girl that Erina had been a few short months ago.

"You're right, Erina-sama. Such accommodations are beneath one of your station." commented Hisako playfully. Megumi nodded, smiling brightly.

"I'm surprised you've put up with it for so long, Erina-sama. Thank you for the kindness you've showed us commoners. Will you be returning to the mansion upon Sōma-kun's return?"

"Well, now. No need to be hasty." said Erina nervously as they called her bluff. "T-There are a few other rooms in the dorm that would suit my standards. After some basic renovations, of course."

"Of course, Erina-sama." intoned both girls simultaneously, bowing to the Nakiri heiress.

"Would you two quit it?" she cried, swatting at them with her pillow as Hisako and Megumi both broke into laughter. Soon, she joined them as well and the laughter of the three girls rang throughout the hall, bright and carefree.

On the dorm's upper floors, Fumio paused as she heard the clear joy ringing up through the pipes. The noise awakened a nostalgic feeling inside of her as she immersed herself in memories of so many similar situations over the years. The laughter of students was as constant as the stars surrounding the moon at Polar Star.

"I hope to never lose that laughter." she said quietly to herself, sipping her tea. "But I suppose it's up to you to ensure that, now. Good luck, Nakiri. Tadokoro."

The dorm mother smiled to herself. She had the strangest feeling that her wishes were completely and utterly unneeded.

* * *

 **A/N: Here we go, another chapter out and about! I hope you guys enjoyed the read. I'm a bit hesitant about the direction the story has been taken, as I've started leaning more towards the romance side of things lately. How do you guys feel about it? It's your opinions that matter in the end, after all!**

 **That being said, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that next chapter will be the Erina/Megumi vs Sōma shokugeki! I can't promise that chapter will contain the results (I may emulate canon and leave you guys with a juicy cliff-hanger) but the match will start and end in full in chapter 15 of the story.**

 **Now, the bad news is that I won't be be posting a chapter of Nisegami next week. Lately, I've been really pushing myself to get these chapters out on a weekly basis, and I just want to give myself a bit of a breather, so I can plan things out a bit more, as we start to approach the story's end game. I would hate for the story's quality to fall simply because I was rushing to meet an arbitrary deadline. So here's my warning you all in advance! My sincerest apologies!**

 **Please review and give me your thoughts. How much do you hate/love Rindō? How do you think Alice is going to react? What's up with the third year's odd actions? How much of a bitch am I for taking a leave of absence next week? I accept all comments, compliments and flames!**

 **Also, something I would really like to say. A sincere thank you to all of my readers. I don't often say it (as I prefer to leave my author's notes short and sweet, if not entirely non-existent) but I really do appreciate each and every person that takes the time out of their day to sit down and enjoy my attempts at writing! I love all of you guys and gals. See you in two weeks! And sorry for the super long author's note!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: So fair warning in advance guys. I lied. I'm a liar, liar, liar. My pants are most certainly in flames. Last chapter I said that the Erina/Megumi vs Sōma shokugeki would be concluded in this particular chapter. It hasn't even started. Blame my muses! Anyway, I hope you guys like this one! I really enjoyed writing it.**

* * *

Ryo leaned against the door jamb of the kitchen silently as he watched Alice bustle around the kitchen. Based on the apparatus and ingredients she had out, Ryo assumed she was trying, or about to try, her hand at making ice cream again. A bit odd, considering he could've sworn she made ice cream just yesterday, but Ryo didn't really question it. His mistress had odder tendencies.

Her cheerful humming provoked a pang of sympathy in his chest and Ryo looked away from her, thinking of what he'd discovered a few hours ago. He felt the urge to simply discard his previous assurances right then and there and tell Alice of what her boyfriend had been up to behind her back, but he couldn't do it.

Yukihira may have thought Ryo gave him the night to break the news to Alice out of kindness or perhaps respect for their former camaraderie. The truth was that Ryo just didn't want to be the one to make his mistress cry.

"Oh, Ryo-kun hello. Don't just stand there brooding in the doorway like some vampire, come here!"

"Alright." Ryo agreed, stepping towards the counter and hoping that his customary blank expression was fixed as usual. He looked down at the bowls laid out in front of him, the varying colours and cool scents indicating that they were all different flavours of ice cream. Alice handed him several popsicle sticks, smiling in response to his querying stare.

"Go ahead and try them. I want to know how I did on this batch."

"Didn't you just make ice cream the other day, ojou?" asked Ryo placidly, taking up a small sample of the closest bowl. The rich, creamy taste was consistent with vanilla, although Ryo could detect a few subtle hints that differentiated it from the vanilla you would buy off of the shelf.

"Yup, but Momo-senpai came over and consumed a good portion of my efforts earlier this morning. And she didn't even have the decency to give me any detailed feedback!"

Alice harrumphed, her cheeks puffing out into a familiar, pouty expression. Ryo arched an eyebrow at her and it spoke to their many years together that Alice picked up on his unspoken question almost instantly.

"I have no idea why the fourth seat herself graced me with her presence today, Ryo-kun. I would've asked her but she left quite suddenly. It was quite rude."

"Ah, I see."

Ryo tried another bowl; the rich nutty taste of pistachio, along with just a hint of mint, hit his tongue and Ryo found himself almost smiling. He was well aware of Alice's fondness for the odd flavour.

"The pistachio's good." he offered, his tone approving. Alice cocked her head at him, smiling confidently.

"Well, of course it is! I made it, after all."

Ryo laughed softly, his deep voice making it sound more like a rumble than a chuckle.

"I suppose that's true."

He tried another flavour and the warm tones of caramel expanded across his tongue. It was a smooth embrace of sweetness.

"The caramel's delicious, ojou. My compliments."

Alice narrowed her eyes at Ryo, not reacting to the praise as she usually would. She leaned down until she was eye level with Ryo and stared at him. Red met red, and Alice hummed contemplatively.

"Ryo-kun, you're being awfully forthcoming today. Is something the matter?"

Ryo swore mentally; she was right. It had always been a bad habit of his. Ryo was something of a nervous talker. But, due to his silent, borderline grim demeanour, this really just meant that when he was flustered or hiding something, he talked about as much, and showed the same range of emotions as, an average person. Something that would usually go unnoticed.

To those that didn't know him well enough. And there wasn't anyone in the world that knew him better than Alice.

"It's nothing." he tried, hating the way he had to force calm into his tone.

Alice tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand.

"I don't really believe you, Ryo-kun. What's the matter?"

"I can't really say, Alice-ojou."

His guarded tone only served to frustrate Alice and she leaned forward, jabbing him in his shoulder with a pointed finger.

"Listen here, Ryo-kun. I already have a boyfriend chock full of secrets, I refuse to…"

Alice stopped talking as she saw Ryo's expression shift minutely. His eyebrows narrowed slightly and she saw his jawline shift, as if he was clenching his teeth. Signs of tension that would've been invisible to anyone in Tōtsuki that wasn't named Nakiri Alice.

"This has something to do with Sōma-kun."

It wasn't a question. Ryo turned his head from her curious gaze, choosing to sample another bowl of ice cream instead of responding to her. The flavour didn't even register to him as he thought furiously, wondering what excuse he could possibly offer. It didn't even need to be a strong one; it just needed to last him until Sōma returned to the mansion later that night.

Ryo expected Alice to snap at him; perhaps shake him by his collar and demand answers or threaten to deprive him of the portion of her allowance she allocated to him every week. That isn't what happened.

"Ryo-kun. Please."

The uncharacteristic softness of Alice's voice prompted him to turn back to face her and he found himself utterly disarmed by the feelings he saw in the garnet eyes of his mistress. Hesitance, caution, fear, concern and a host of other emotions that he'd rarely have associated with Alice at all. It really brought home something that he'd seen developing but been too slow and too cautious to stop before it could get too far. For not the first or last time, he cursed Yukihira Sōma.

His mistress had fallen head over heels for that red headed **idiot**. And now he'd get to watch him break her heart in two.

"I need to use the bathroom." was all he said before fleeing the room.

"Wait, really? NOW?!"

He ignored the incredulous cries of the girl he considered his closest friend, marching away from the kitchen and sliding into the first bathroom he saw, locking the door behind him. He sat on the tub, tangling a hand in his hair as he sighed. His unoccupied fist swung out, slamming into the wall. He ignored the dull throbbing in his knuckles as he tried to think of how he would handle things from here. He couldn't run from Alice forever and the bathroom would buy him a few minutes at best.

The time constraint didn't exactly help Ryo's thinking processes. Especially considering that, by all rights, he should just tell his mistress exactly what had happened. She deserved to know after all. He was more than capable of handling her when she was being excessive or thoughtlessly unfair. But he'd always been unable to resist the urge to help her when she truly needed him. It's what he was here for, after all.

That line of thinking brought him back to the words that Alice's father had left him with; words he'd thought of recently and completely failed at putting into action.

 _I leave it to you to ensure that, when the time comes, Alice chooses a man worthy of both her and her station._

He was supposed to have more time than this; how could he have known that his mistress would give away her heart to the first lout that smiled her way? It hadn't even been a month since Yukihira had moved in!

If Ryo had known just a little bit more about teenage girls, just a little bit more about what motivated Alice and Sōma's relationship and just a little bit more about the ways of the heart, he would've realized that he was grossly oversimplifying things; as it stood, he just felt guilty for his role in facilitating the relationship by simply standing aside all this time.

Ryo glanced at his watch and noted that he'd been sitting in the tiled room for almost seven minutes. In that time, he'd accomplished little besides lamenting his failure and dreading the thought of opening that door. He was loathe to confront his mistress and wondered, again, if telling her everything wasn't the simplest option.

He supposed he'd have to find out in the moment. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, Ryo stood up and walked to the door, unlocking it and throwing it open.

An empty hallway greeted him.

He peeked his head out, looking from side to side but finding that both directions were absent of his mistress' presence.

"Alice-ojou?"

* * *

Alice marched off, doing her best to maintain her anger at Ryo. It helped distract her from the odd cocktail of concern and worry she had for her boyfriend as she walked towards Tōtsuki's main campus. She was fairly certain she knew where to find him; he should be wrapping up his English final, based on what she knew of his exam schedule.

She'd contemplated simply waiting for Ryo to come out of hiding but she found her patience had lasted all of thirty seconds before she stormed off to go find answers on her own. She didn't need second hand information; not where Sōma was concerned. He was confusing enough as it was.

Alice opened the door to one of the adjoining buildings off of Tōtsuki's main hall. A brief search brought her to the building's directory, which then led her to the second floor, where Class 3-A's English exam was taking place. She eyed the closed door and the foreboding 'Exam in Progress – Do Not Disturb' sign speculatively before shrugging and smiling to herself.

She slid the door open, stepping inside with a cheerful wave and exuberant greeting.

"Excuse me young miss!"

The dark haired proctor stood up from his seat, surprised by Alice's boisterous entrance. She looked around the class, a confused look on her face, even as she made note of the crowd of curious students. She recognized more than a few of them from her year.

"Oh, sensei, I'm so sorry! I thought this was Ishida-sensei's classroom."

The sugary sweet tone that Alice used didn't seem to have any effect on the severe looking man as he adjusted his glasses, glaring at her sternly.

"Well, as you can see, it is most certainly not. Now please, run along."

Alice's eyes moved to a shocked pair of yellow ones that sat in the back corner of the room. She grinned at the familiar sight before turning and bowing to the teacher.

"No problem. My apologies once again, sensei."

Stepping back out and shutting the door behind her, Alice grinned to herself. So she'd confirmed that, whatever was wrong with Sōma, it wasn't bad enough to make him miss his exams. Which was saying something, considering how little bearing exams that weren't related to cooking had at Tōtsuki. So it probably wasn't anything to do with her uncle. Which was a win in her book.

Alice leaned idly against the classroom wall, looking out of the window as she allowed her thoughts to drift. Now that she'd found him, all she would have to do is wait for him to finish. She couldn't be certain how long she'd have to wait but it couldn't be all that long. Based on what she'd seen when glancing around the room in her "confusion", most of the students had already closed their exam booklets; if enough time had passed for that to happen, Alice was confident that she had minutes to burn, at worst.

"Nakiri-chan!"

Alice jumped in surprise, her thinking interrupted by the loud voice at her ear. She turned to face the grinning face of Kobayashi Rindō.

"Ah, Rindō-senpai. Good day. What brings you here?"

The maroon haired girl folded her arms, tilting her head at the younger girl as she examined her expression.

"Just passing through. You seemed pretty lost in thought there, Nakiri-chan. Anything on your mind?"

Alice wondered why Rindō's tone seemed so suggestive, but she didn't pay it much mind. The second seat was well known for her various eccentricities and her fondness for mischief.

"It's nothing, Rindō-senpai. I'm just waiting for Sōma-kun to finish with his exams. He should be done in a few minutes."

Rindō couldn't tell if the girl was in denial or simply ignorant of the situation. When she'd spotted Alice marching purposefully through campus, she simply had to follow and see what she was going to do. It had been a few hours since the Kurokiba boy had caught her and Sōma together. That was more than enough time for the little snowflake to build up a head full of steam.

"I see. Is there any particular… _reason_ you need to see Sōma-kun? Has he done something, perhaps?"

Alice felt something at the edge of her awareness, a sort of pre-emptive tremble that was telling her that the girl in front of her was dangerous. It was just a brief feeling, but it was enough to put Alice on guard.

"I believe that is between Sōma-kun and I." she responded diplomatically. The cat like girl's smile only seemed to grow, and Alice felt the odd feeling return, less of a tremble and more of a full blown warning now. Something wasn't right.

"I wouldn't be quite so sure of that, Nakiri-chan. Or have you not had the chance to catch up with that fishy little aide of yours today?"

Alice narrowed her eyes, her hackles rising at both Rindō's prodding and the continued sense of unease she was getting from the older girl. It also didn't help that Rindō's comment had sparked Alice's curiosity. It had seemed rather targeted and the timing of the jest was almost beyond coincidental. And Alice, as a matter of course, didn't believe in coincidence in the first place.

"Why are you so curious, Rindō-senpai? Is there something I should know?" she asked, her polite smile hollow as she fought the urge to step back. Rindō shrugged flippantly.

"Far be it from me to get involved in a lovers' quarrel, Nakiri-chan. It simply isn't my place."

Alice heard something in Rindō's words; something she didn't like. She just couldn't figure out what it was. Such was her distraction that she didn't even realize that Rindō had basically confirmed that she knew about her relationship with Sōma, a fact that only a select few were aware of.

"There is no quarrel, Rindō-senpai. If you have something you feel you should say then, by all means, go ahead."

Rindō wasn't fooled by the polite manner in which Alice phrased her sentence and, based on Alice's too-innocent expression, she was sure she wasn't meant to be. It was meant as a challenge; an invitation for Rindō to back up her assertions.

Rindō opened her mouth to respond, but the sliding door to the classroom opening interrupted her. The general bustle of the students filing out of the classroom and breaking into relieved discussion would've drowned out anything she had to say. As the group moved past their position, one broke off to stand in front of them.

Sōma looked at Rindō, his face blank and empty. He looked over at Alice to find her looking back at him in concern.

"Sōma-kun, is everything alright?"

Sōma didn't react visibly but Alice could've sworn that she felt something inside of him tense up and away from her. As if he was frightened. She hoped that it was simply her imagination. Sōma looked back over at Rindō, who was looking between the both of them in unconcealed glee.

"Alice. I need to speak with you. But I would suggest that we do it somewhere a little more private."

"Ok…" the white haired girl agreed hesitantly, trying to ignore the very real fear that had settled in the pit of her stomach at his tone. It was easy to dismiss her worrying as overthinking and paranoia when she didn't have Sōma's serious, guarded face in front of her. It had been a while since she'd seen him like this. At least, with her. Even in public, he didn't usually wall himself off to her like he was doing now.

"Sounds fun, can I come?" asked Rindō cheerily, as if they'd just planned a rendezvous at a party or a café. Sōma turned to face her and the look in his eyes made even Rindō's cheeky grin falter.

"It should go without saying that you are not welcome... _senpai_."

The sheer venom with which Sōma spat out the address was at complete odds with the iciness of his delivery. Alice was taken aback by the sudden shift in his mood and, if her expression was to be believed, so was Rindō.

She recovered swiftly however and simply shrugged, a hand going up to tuck an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's all in good fun, Sōma-kun. No need to be such a downer about it."

The levity in Rindō's voice only seemed to incense Sōma further and he clenched his fists, his face still stubbornly set in stone despite the trembling of his shoulders. He stared at Rindō wordlessly, a familiar rage beginning to build inside of him until he felt an insistent tug at his sleeve. He felt a cool hand slip into his and he closed his eyes, the anger beaten back by something stronger.

"Let's go, Sōma-kun."

Alice pulled Sōma along, more than willing to separate him from the troublemaking third year. She didn't know exactly what the older girl had done to set Sōma off so but she was more than happy to make the executive decision to remove both herself and Sōma from the mischievous girl's presence. Once they'd put several classrooms and a stair well in between them and Rindō, Alice turned to face Sōma.

"Now, what do you need to tell me, Sōma-kun? What's the matter?"

Sōma looked down at Alice. At the warm, ruby eyes that he'd found himself pulled into so often over the past few weeks. He gritted his teeth as a single tear fell down his face. He opened his mouth. And he spoke.

* * *

Erina opened the door to room 303, sighing in contentment as she finally got home after a lengthy day spent taking final exams. She turned on the light, humming softly to herself as she placed her bags down near the desk. She waved politely.

"Greetings, Alice."

"Hi, Erina."

Erina continued humming, taking off her school jacket and setting it onto a hanger that she'd left hanging on the door for just such an occasion. As she moved towards the wardrobe in the corner of the room, she stopped halfway, wondering why she had this nagging feeling that…

"Wait, Alice?!"

She turned to face her cousin, who sat on her bed, clutching a pillow to herself. She had her head buried in the cushion and didn't react to Erina's exclamation, as if it was perfectly normal for her to be sitting in Erina's room in the dark.

Erina felt a surge of irritation at the girl's lack of response and she walked over to the bed, crossing her arms haughtily.

"It's not very polite to just come into people's rooms Alice. If you'd wanted to visit, you need only ask." Erina said, the rebuke containing little heat.

"Ah…"

Erina frowned at the muted response. Something didn't seem right; Alice was never this withdrawn.

"Did you lose a duel to Kurokiba-kun again, Alice?"

Erina knew how much the competitions meant to her cousin, despite the lack of actual stakes. Alice shook her head, her bang bobbing back and forth with the motion. She still hadn't so much as looked at Erina, her face still buried in the soft cotton of Erina's pillow.

"Alice, is everything alright?"

A pause. And then, slowly, Alice shook her head again. She looked up, her eyes meeting Erina's, and the blonde gasped. Alice's expression was downtrodden and morose and, most shockingly, her eyes were red. Not the usual ruby-red that was her natural eye colour but the irritated pinkish-red that came from too much time spent crying. Wet spots decorated the pillow below her and Alice glanced down at them.

" _Gomen_ , Erina. I messed up your pillow."

Alice's voice was soft and quiet; almost wispy. It almost cracked as she spoke.

Erina sat next to Alice, taking the pillow from her unresisting arms. She took her cousin's hands in hers.

"That's not what's important. What's wrong, Alice? What happened?"

Alice sniffed slightly, gripping her cousin's hands in return.

"It's…it's Sōma-kun."

Erina blinked, surprised by the answer, but then remembered what Hisako had revealed to her and Megumi and she drew back, her mind racing as she thought about what the boy could've possibly done. What could that idiot have done?

Erina didn't realize she'd spoken out loud until Alice began sniffling again, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand as a few errant tears fell down her cheeks.

"He…Sōma-kun…he did something wrong. But for a good reason. A really good reason."

The latter half of Alice's statement was almost muttered and Erina wondered at the odd statement, even as she felt her chest constrict at the sight of her cousin crying. Alice wasn't exactly conservative with her emotions, but her crying was usually loud and abrasive, childish and tantrum-like. This sombre, slow rush of tears was anything but. These were the tears of a woman, not a girl.

"What did he do, Alice?"

Alice looked at Erina's concerned gaze and, through her tears, she smiled at her. Erina found herself even more confused by the gesture; why was Alice smiling even as she continued to cry?

"Something bad. A means to an end. A really good end. But bad all the same."

"Eh?"

Erina was completely thrown by the seeming contradiction of her cousin's phrasing. The deeper meaning flew completely over her head. She simply didn't have the context to make heads or tails of such a cryptic statement.

"Alice, I'm afraid I don't really understand. What has Sōma-kun done?"

At Sōma's name, Alice's face fell, even as she continued to smile at her cousin. She didn't answer the other girl's inquiry; instead choosing to simply stare at her cousin thoughtfully. After a few seconds, Erina frowned concernedly.

"Alice, what is it? You can trust me."

"Oh I know I can, Erina. It's not my trust that's the issue."

The bitterness in Alice's voice made Erina wonder just what she was trying to imply. The white haired girl wiped her eyes with dogged determination, plastering a smile on her face that was much too hollow to be worn by the spritely molecular gastronomist.

"I'll be fine, Erina. It's sort of poetic for first romances to end tragically, in the pursuit of something greater, isn't it?"

Alice had surprised Erina several times in the past several minutes, but that particular statement, more than any other, really shocked the honey blonde haired girl. She stared at her cousin, open mouthed, trying and failing to find the words to say to her. What should she say to THAT? What could she say?!

Alice stood up, dusting off her skirt as she got to her feet.

"Sorry to bother you, Erina. I'm not even really sure why I came here. I'll see you later."

With one last, watery smile, Alice walked towards the door but she quickly found her motion halted by the hand wrapped around her wrist.

"Wait, Alice."

Erina's voice was surprisingly steady, considering how shell shocked she'd been a few seconds ago. She looked up at her cousin insistently.

"Do you really care for Yukihira-kun?"

Alice was surprised by the urgency in Erina's tone. She answered with simple, if painful, honesty.

"I…I do."

"Truly and honestly? With all of your heart?"

"Well, yes. Of course. But what does-"

"Then you shouldn't let things end this way."

Erina wasn't sure what in particular had motivated her on this particular course of action. Her head felt light and filled with fog even as she stood and faced her cousin, who was looking back at her in confusion.

"Does Yukihira-kun care for you as well?"

Alice frowned as she thought back to the conversation she'd had. To the angry words and tears that had come from both sides.

"He claims to. But I doubt it."

"Is that you speaking? Or is it your anger, Alice?"

"What? How can you-"

"You're one of the most perceptive people I know, Alice. If Yukihira cared about you, you would know it. Feelings like that don't just go away with one mistake."

"Don't speak as if you know what this is like!" she snapped, her previous irritation flaring in response to Erina's prodding. The very raw hurt and anger that still resided alongside her tears fuelled her words as she glared at the girl in front of her. "You don't know the first thing about any of this, Erina!"

Erina didn't rise to the heat in her cousin's words. Instead she simply took out her phone, dialling a number.

"You're right, I don't. But I think I know someone who knows a lot more than either of us about these kinds of things. And I think you should talk with her before doing something rash. Shiomi-sensei?"

* * *

The three women sat in silence in the Shiomi seminar's main room. Before them were cups of tea, their contents already drained. An empty plate of crumbs was all that was left from the offering of biscuits that Jun had provided upon seeing the two girls enter.

The silence wasn't…awkward, per se, but it also wasn't the most comfortable. Between sips of tea and bites of crackers, Alice had been coaxed into revealing just what Sōma had done. Erina had reacted with anger and offense; Jun's reaction was more subdued as she calmly listened to the girl's brief recitation of Sōma's indiscretion.

Jun broke the silence with a query.

"So Alice-chan, Sōma-kun has given you his reasons for why he kissed another woman, correct?"

A nod.

"And you consider these reasons to be good ones?"

A bit of hesitance and an almost imperceptible glance at Erina preceded another nod.

"Yet you still desire to break up with him?"

At this, Alice went to nod but she paused. She started to shake her head but then stopped again, before simply shrugging her shoulders. Jun held her chin thoughtfully, eyeing the young girl before her.

"Alice-chan. I'm not going to claim to have all of the answers but what I will say is that everyone makes mistakes. Some bigger than others. And you two are young and this is the first relationship that either of you have been in, correct?"

Alice nodded again but she chose to refrain from explaining to Jun the complicated mess that was Sōma and Rindō's previous relationship. She wasn't sure she would call that… _mess_ …a real relationship anyway. And thinking about it only served to darken Alice's mood further; something that didn't go unnoticed by the diminutive professor.

"Alice-chan, is there…history between Sōma and this other girl?"

Alice started, looking at Jun in surprise. She'd always heard that the spice professor was a bit absent minded, but it seemed she was more perceptive than people gave her credit for.

"What, um…what makes you say that?"

"Call it womanly intuition. Does Sōma-kun still have feelings for this other woman?"

"I…I don't…it's complicated. He's not in love with her or anything like that. But he's…dependent on her. He needs her for…things. And that lets her have control over him. More than even he realizes, I think."

"That doesn't seem healthy." commented Erina, more than a little perturbed by the parallels she recognized. Jun stood up and began gathering the empty plates and cups from the coffee table.

"Alice-chan, it seems to me that the easiest solution here would be to just leave Sōma-kun to his own devices. He clearly comes with a lot of baggage. That's not stress you need in your first relationship."

Jun delivered her verdict calmly, as if she was commenting on the weather. Alice looked at Jun who didn't turn to face her. She just continued to gather up the used cutlery.

"You're a pretty girl, Alice-chan. I'm sure that, if you wanted, you could find another boy to date at the drop of a hat. Someone less complicated than Sōma-kun, perhaps?"

Alice went to speak but she wasn't sure what she should say. She'd been all for breaking up with Sōma when he first told her that he'd kissed someone else. Even after he'd explained the situation to her, she'd been almost blinded by her anger and had wanted to tell him that they were done right then and there. It seemed like the right thing to do. But to hear someone else suggest the exact same thing to her made her feel…wrong.

She didn't want to lose him. Even though he'd hurt her, more than almost anyone else ever had, she still wanted to be with him. Punish him a bit for being so stupidly noble and unfaithful at the same time. And have words with that purple haired upperclassmen _bitch_. But breaking up with Sōma wasn't what she wanted. Was it?

"Alice-chan?"

Alice looked up at Jun and something in her eyes made the professor want to smile. Although she was careful not to give in to the desire.

"So you've come to a decision then?"

"I…I think I have, Shiomi-sensei."

"So what are you going to do?"

At that, Alice grinned, not exactly happy but much less sad than she'd been since she and Sōma had spoken.

"I made Sōma a promise when we started dating. And I plan to keep it. One way or the other."

"I see. So you're going to take him back? Even though he cheated on you with another woman he was involved with in the past?"

The harshness with which the comment was delivered caught both Nakiris off guard.

"Sensei!" said Erina, looking over at Alice, who looked as if Jun's comment had taken all of the air out of her sails and more.

"Alice-chan. Sōma-kun cheated on you. He kissed another woman. He may have been coerced or bribed in some manner but, at the end of the day, he gave his consent."

Alice bit her lip as her previous confidence began to wane in the face of Jun's taciturn delivery.

"But he also told you about it, almost immediately after it happened. And, based on what you've told me, he knows that what he did was wrong and he regrets it heavily. Sōma-kun's a complicated young man but I believe he's ultimately a good one. And even good men make mistakes."

Jun smiled at Alice.

"I won't tell you whether you should get back together with him or not, Alice-chan. But I will tell you that you should be realistic, look at all of the facts, harsh as they may be, and do what's best for you, not someone else."

"But what if they are one and the same, Shiomi-sensei?"

Jun tilted her head at Alice, who seemed embarrassed at what she'd blurted out. The white haired girl began speaking haltingly, as if afraid to put her thoughts to words.

"What if…what if you know that what's best for you is trying your best to do what's best for someone else?"

"Then that's love, Alice-chan."

Jun said it so easily and so casually that the girl almost missed the significance of the woman's words. When she realized just what Jun had said, she simply nodded in response.

"Yea…I guess it is."

Alice stood up suddenly, surprising both Erina and Jun with her rapid movement.

"Thank you for all of your help, Shiomi-sensei. I know what I'm going to do now."

She bowed to the older woman, who bowed in return.

"It was nothing, Alice-chan. I hope you find happiness, whatever you decide to do."

With one last, small smile, Alice left, shutting the door behind her. Jun looked at the closed door for a second or two before promptly collapsing to her knees, gasping.

"Shiomi-sensei!"

Erina got up and rushed over to where Jun was kneeling. Jun's face was a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

"That was so hard…"

Erina felt an almost overwhelming desire to palm her face but she held back, in favour of helping Jun to her feet and onto a couch.

"I tried so hard to be all mature and encouraging but I really just wanted to give her a big hug! Poor Alice-chan…"

"Wait, if that's how you felt, then why did you act like that, Shiomi-sensei? That sort of sternness really wasn't like you."

Jun sighed as she leaned back into the cushions.

"It's what she needed, Erina-chan. Alice didn't need someone to hold her hand and comfort her. Well I mean, she DID. But you filled that role. She needed someone to help her come to a decision and so I tried to do my best to do that. If I were too nice and overly optimistic, there was a good chance I would've just made things worse."

"Really? How so?"

"Well, by presenting Alice with the harsh reality of what Sōma did, I made her confront what happened. If I'd been more pandering, it was possible that she would've simply brushed his indiscretions off or repressed her feelings towards them, which wouldn't be healthy for her in the least. It would've poisoned any further relationship she could've had with Sōma. Or even boys after him, depending on how far down those feelings would have ran. But by confronting them, she can accept what happened and move on with a clear head. She can come to the decision that's best for her that way and accept the outcome, whatever it may be. "

Erina wasn't sure that she grasped the full scope of what June was talking about but she more than got the gist, and was very impressed by her teacher's analysis of the situation. Although it made her wonder about something.

"Sensei, something's been bothering me for a while now."

"What is it, Erina-chan?"

"It's just, well…how do you know all of this?"

Jun blinked at Erina, who was staring at her critically.

"I didn't really question it when I first started talking to you about these sorts of things. But you seem very knowledgeable about things like relationships, dating and…love…for someone who seemed to have spent the majority of her time single and working."

Jun blushed brightly. She looked away from Erina as she fiddled with her fingers.

"Well, to be honest Erina-chan…when I started to realize how I felt about Hayama-kun, I wasn't very comfortable with that. As I'm sure you can imagine. And I didn't really date much, even before I started working at Tōtsuki, so I was really clueless. And so I…well, you see…"

With a sigh, Jun stopped speaking. She stood up and walked over to a bookcase and pulled several volumes from the shelves. She walked back over to Erina and set the books on the coffee table with a thud. The legs creaked in protest at the weight.

Jun handed the top book to Erina who took it from her. She looked at the cover, which bore the proud title of _South Eastern Spices: A History of Plant and Spice Culture in Burma, Volume IX_.

"I'm afraid I don't really understand, sensei."

"Just, um…open the cover flap. And read the top of the first page"

Erina did just that, and saw that the book itself looked odd; it was a bit smaller than the book sleeve would suggest, as if it wasn't properly sized for it. Erina read the title printed at the top of the page.

" _Relationships: 100 Tips for Finding One, Making it Last and Knowing When to Break It Off_ …"

That's when Erina understood why the book sleeve seemed so oddly sized. She removed it entirely and found that the book it covered was covered in hearts and pink writing, as opposed to the plain color of most text books.

"Sensei, is this…a dating manual?"

Jun nodded ashamedly.

"Yes, it is."

Jun shucked the covers off of a few of the other volumes she'd brought, revealing more books with brightly colored covers and loopy handwriting.

 _Human Nature: Romance Edition_

 _What is Love and Why do We Bother?_

 _Dating: A History. From Fencing to Facebooking_

 _The Psychology and Chemistry of Falling in Love_

 _Is Mr. Right Really Mr. Wrong?_

 _20 Steamy Tips for the Bedroom_

Jun almost shrieked as she saw the last title she'd revealed, snatching it and putting it behind her back. She looked up to see that Erina hadn't even noticed the slip; she was busy leafing through the first book Jun had handed her.

"So you've been doing research? On romantic relationships?"

Jun took the opportunity to slip over and shove the book she held behind her back among a collection of other actual spice texts, before returning to her seat with Erina none the wiser.

"Yes. That's exactly right!"

Despite her initial embarrassment, Jun seemed to be excited to have someone to discuss her work with. Her passion as a researcher didn't seem to be limited to just spices after all.

"There isn't a book in the world that can teach you how to make someone fall in love with you, but humans have been falling in love with each other for thousands of years. There's so much about the phenomenon that's well documented and researched. I was honestly impressed when I first started looking into things. There's so much to learn."

She reached over and flipped through the book Erina held until she hit a certain page. She pointed to the title of the chapter.

"You see this one here? This chapter talks about common signs of an impending breakup. On the surface, much of them are simple and obvious but there are signs that are more subtle and hard to notice. Especially if you're caught up in your emotions which you SHOULD be, if it's a relationship with any sort of depth. So being familiar with reference material can help you strengthen your own relationship."

Jun continued speaking, pointing at parts in the book that Erina held to further illustrate what she was talking about. Erina followed along, interested in the more academic take on relationships that Jun was presenting. She personally preferred the dramatic themes of her shōjo manga but she appreciated the realistic analysis presented by the older woman as well. She found herself being more and more drawn into it as Jun continued speaking, donning her white coat to add emphasis to her words.

Hayama would return home hours later to find Jun in full lecture mode in front of a board with Erina following along diligently, taking notes in a notebook that she'd procured from the bookshelf. Neither women noticed his entrance until he cleared his throat, which brought on a lot of shrieking, a scramble to hide several objects and a thoroughly embarrassed Nakiri Erina shoving him out of the room and slamming the door.

He briefly considered just re-entering and explaining to Jun that he'd discovered her stash of "research material" the day after she'd bought them. But he decided to let it go and simply laughed to himself at the whispered conversations and hurried attempts to hide literature that he could hear through the wall.

* * *

"Ah, excuse me, Riza-san!"

With a rounded, portly figure, deep laugh lines and kind brown eyes, Idate Riza was the very picture of a matronly woman. She was also the head of the serving staff at the Nakiri mansion, a positon she'd proudly held for almost twenty years. She turned to face the young man that called out to her and smiled warmly.

"Good evening Yukihira-kun. How are you?"

Sōma stepped forward, his chain nowhere to be seen as he waved at the maid. He gave the woman a wan smile.

"To be honest, not the best. But I'll be fine."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry. Would you like to talk about it? I've been told I'm a good listener."

Sōma waved off the woman's offer but smiled gratefully at her.

"No thank you Riza-san, although your kindness is appreciated. Did the package arrive yet?"

Riza lit up and she started digging around in her bag.

"Oh, that's right. I finally received it in the mail earlier today. Mariko-chan had quite a time tracking it down but she came through, in the end."

She gave Sōma a thick manila envelope and he took it from her, popping the top open and looking down into the contents. He smiled widely at what he saw and, in a fit of spontaneity, he reached forward and hugged Riza, eliciting a good natured chuckle from the woman.

"Thank you so much, Riza-san. And please, give Mariko-san my thanks as well."

"First Rindō-senpai and now the help? Really, Sōma-kun?"

Despite the accusatory words, the voice was light. That didn't stop a cold fear from taking hold of Sōma however. He released Riza, bowing his head to her and thanking her again, before turning to face Alice, who was eyeing him stoically.

"Alice."

"Sōma."

The two teenagers continued looking at each other, the tensions mounting.

"We need to talk."

The sentence was said in unison and it caused both teenagers to blink in surprise before Alice started chuckling. Sōma joined in after a few seconds and the mutual exchange of humour did much to lighten the mood.

"What say I give you kids some privacy, hmm? Have a good evening Yukihira-kun, Alice-chii."

"Riza-obaa!" shouted Alice petulantly, her cheeks puffed out. "I'm not a child anymore!"

Riza didn't respond verbally, instead simply choosing to laugh and wave as she left the hallway.

Sōma looked at the pouting face of his estranged girlfriend and it made him smile, even as he felt the guilt and self-hatred claw at him. Even as he saw her face in his mind's eye, streaked with tears.

"Sōma-kun."

Her voice broke him from his thoughts and he saw that Alice had gone back to the placid expression she'd worn when she'd first entered the hallway. It was so very different from her usual cheerful demeanour.

"Come on then."

She turned, expecting him to follow and it wasn't long before his steps echoed alongside hers. Her path took them through the hallway and out to the foyer, winding around a staircase and through further halls until they finally ended up in his room.

"Go. Sit down."

Alice gestured with one dainty fingertip and Sōma obediently took a seat on his bed, the large envelope put to the side for the moment. Alice closed the door behind them and sighed before turning to face him, walking over until she stood over him, much as she had weeks ago when she'd first gotten a glimpse of the real Sōma. She took his face into her hands and looked down at him, her red eyes insistent. Her mouth moved.

"I love you."

Sōma had no idea that three words could mean so much. He felt almost guilty for how happy that simple phrase made him. He'd known, or at least thought he'd known, but to hear her say it made a world of difference. It made this amazing dream he'd been living…real. Tangible.

He smiled widely at Alice, opening his mouth to respond but she shushed him, putting a cool finger to his lips.

"Sōma-kun. I love you. And you hurt me. Deeply."

If Alice's initial statement had sent Sōma soaring, her follow up sent him plunging into the depths of the ocean. He felt every bit of guilt, shame and anger start to beat on his mind, his previous euphoria all but devoured in the face of it. A sharp pinch to his cheek drew his eyes back up to meet Alice's.

"Sōma-kun. Listen. Focus. I need you to hear this. To hear me. Can you do that?"

Sōma nodded mutely, even as his emotions continued to run unfettered. He felt the urge to chain his wrist but he clenched his fist, denying himself. He wouldn't run from this, from her. Not again.

"You hurt me. You had good reasons; reasons I understand and approve of, honestly, but that doesn't change the fact that you did that. YOU. And I forgive you. I forgive you for it. I give you my forgiveness freely, no strings attached."

Sōma felt some of the weight that hung over him disperse at the girl's words. Not all of it, not by any means, but a good portion of him was freed by Alice's acceptance.

"You said you didn't care; that there was no reason great enough in the world for what I did."

Alice shrugged at his response, overly casual.

"I was mad. You know I have a temper."

Sōma laughed at the bland joke.

"That you do."

They lapsed into a silence that, while not completely tension free, was much more comfortable than any they had a right to after the day they'd been through together. Sōma closed his eyes as he focused on the feeling of Alice's hands on his face. Her skin was always so cool, no matter what the temperature was like.

"So…us?"

Sōma asked the question calmly but the weight in it was clear to the both of them. Alice sighed, one hand reaching up to run through Sōma's soft, red spikes.

"Sōma-kun…what would you say if I asked you to stop. To give up on saving Erina and beating Uncle Azami?"

Sōma glanced up sharply at her words and he found Alice staring back at him, her face more serious than he'd ever seen it.

"If I said, right here and now, that I wanted you to end your campaign and just be…normal. A normal high school student with normal high school problems and a normal high school girlfriend…would you?"

Sōma's mouth felt dry and he opened his mouth to respond but words weren't there. He tried to speak a second time but his voice failed him. His eyes, his expressive golden eyes, told Alice all she needed to know. She sighed again as she released his face.

"That's what I thought."

"Alice, please. I just-"

"No, Sōma-kun. You don't need to give me any excuses. I understand, I really do. I would never ask something like that of you."

Alice smiled at him beatifically.

"That stupid noble streak is one of the things I love about you, you know? Even when it's buried under all those chains."

Alice sat beside Sōma on the bed, staring outwards, looking at the wall but not really seeing it as her mind drifted. Sōma didn't know what to say; he didn't really know what he could say. Sorry didn't seem like enough.

"We can't be together, Sōma-kun."

Sōma's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off by soft, cool lips on his. The kiss caught him by surprise but he soon closed his eyes and lost himself inside of it; he could almost taste the sorrow within it. This was a kiss of regrets; of _goodbye_. A hint of salt hit his lips and he idly wondered if it was from her tears or his.

After several seconds, they both drew back and Alice looked at him, her eyes moist.

"Sōma-kun…I still love you. But I can't be first in your life; not now. Not as you are. And I understand that. I'm still here for you, I want to be here for you, but I'll have to do it as a friend. And then, one day in the future, when you've kicked Uncle Azami's ass and you don't need that stupid chain…"

She took Sōma's hand in hers and she squeezed it, taking in the heat that Sōma seemed to always carry with him.

"We can see where we stand. For as long as you want me to, I'll wait for you, Yukihira Sōma."

Alice stood up but found that her motion was soon arrested by Sōma's hand in hers. She'd released her grip but it seemed Sōma hadn't released his. He was looking up at her, his eyes a warm bronze, and Alice fought the desire to kiss him again with everything she had. It wouldn't help either of them.

"Alice…I don't want you to go. I want to fight for you, to tell you to stay by my side as the woman I love. I want to be selfish. I really, really, **really** do."

 _But I can't_.

The words were left unvoiced. They didn't need to be spoken; they both knew it to be true, regardless. Alice sighed once more as she felt her resolve start to weaken. She needed to leave. Before she burst into tears again.

"Sōma-kun. I know. I understand. And I love you. Please let me go."

"I will…but not until I've given you this. Think of it as an apology gift from the worst boyfriend in the world."

The poor joke, combined with Sōma's small grin, made Alice smile and she allowed herself to be pulled back to the bed, where she sat down next to Sōma. He picked up the thick envelope that Riza had given him and gave it to Alice who looked at him questioningly.

"Go ahead. Open it."

Alice opened the top flap and peered down into the envelope but couldn't really see the contents. It was dark inside. Sōma smiled softly as he began speaking again, his voice filling the room.

"Endo Mariko was a maid that worked here almost ten years ago. She arrived at the Nakiri mansion a few weeks after you left for Denmark, I believe."

Alice tried to angle the envelope towards the light but still couldn't really see what was inside of it. She tipped it towards her lap at an angle, shaking it gently.

"She was the newest staff member, so they put her in charge of fairly menial tasks. Things that needed doing but required very little skill; such as greeting guests, relaying messages and handling the mail."

Alice's shaking bore fruit and several envelopes fell into her lap. All of them were the same aged, yellowish color and they all bore a variety of stamps.

"About five months after she began working here, Nakiri Azami gave her explicit instructions to deliver any mail addressed to Erina to him personally, without informing any of the other family members or staff. He claimed it was because he was concerned about Erina being solicited by those who would take advantage of her childish naiveté."

Alice reached down to pick up one but she hesitated; something Sōma had said had started the gears turning in her head and she suddenly felt short of breath as her hand landed on an envelope rimmed with red and white, with a stamp that had words on it in a language that was most certainly not Japanese.

"After Mariko-san found the remains of your first letter in the trash, she began hiding them and presenting Azami with copies she forged herself while she kept the originals. By the time Azami got wind of what she was doing, you'd already given up on sending Erina anymore letters. He promptly fired her and expelled her from the Tōtsuki grounds but she kept the letters she'd saved, all these years."

Alice stroked the edge of the yellowed envelope. _From Alice_ was written on the corner, with a return address scrawled across the front, half covered by an improperly placed stamp.

"Riza-san got in touch with her for me. Mariko-san lives all the way out in Osaka now. She hadn't even heard that Azami had been exiled from the Nakiri family when it happened all those years ago, considering how quiet Senzaemon-sama kept things. She says she's sorry that she didn't get the chance to send them along to Erina after everything that had happened."

Alice tried to speak but she found her throat caught as her eyes began to water. Her previous vow to not burst into tears was almost completely abandoned but Alice didn't mind. These were tears of joy; of happiness long in the making. Her hands shook as she picked up another yellowed envelope with familiar, childish handwriting across the front.

"I know it's about ten years late but I'm sure Erina would appreciate you hand delivering these to her, wouldn't she?"

Alice looked over at Sōma, who was looking back at her with an honest, selfless smile. The kind of smile that Alice rarely provoked from him, but a smile she treasured all the more for it. Her hands stopped shaking and Alice gathered up the yellowed pages, slipping all of them back into the large manila envelope, before sealing the top of it. She got to her feet and walked towards the door without saying a word.

Sōma followed her path with his eyes, watching as she exited the room silently. He half stood to go after her but then sat down again as he wondered whether he should or not. He didn't have to wait long, however, as he soon heard the light clicking that was the sound of Alice's shoes hitting the hardwood floor of the hallway outside of his room.

She re-entered the room, the envelope missing from her hands. She closed the door behind her and locked it. She then checked the lock and tried the knob, just to be certain. She turned to face Sōma, who was looking at her, somewhat bemused. Alice took a deep breath and walked over to him.

Her face was red and she continued to remain silent. She simply continued staring at Sōma, as if she was trying to prepare herself to do something exciting but terrifying; like bungee jumping or going on a roller coaster. She swallowed and went to speak but stopped herself; instead she simply grew even redder. She looked at Sōma expectantly, which confused him even further.

As he opened his mouth to ask just what she was doing, Alice struck. She tackled Sōma, cutting off his words with a whoosh of air as they both fell back onto the bed. She began kissing him, none of the softness from their earlier lip lock present. This kiss was all fire and passion, heat and desire.

Sōma found himself stunned by the intensity of Alice's ministrations but he responded in kind quickly, the feel of her cool lips against his own igniting a familiar fire within him. His tongue lashed out and tangled with Alice's. He felt more than heard her moan in response. They'd kissed like this before more than once in the past but it was rare for Alice to be so fierce.

As their tongues continued to duel, Sōma started to feel lightheaded. He wasn't sure if that was because he needed to breathe or if he was simply losing himself to his desires. A few seconds more and Sōma figured that it was a combination of the two and he pulled away from Alice, gasping for breath. His hands were wrapped around her waist and hers were around his neck.

Their faces were so close that their noses are almost touching, and they looked into each other's eyes as they both panted, their breaths mingling.

"You taste like mint."

"And you taste like strawberries."

Alice leaned back down, apparently satisfied enough with the amount of breath she'd regained to go back to kissing Sōma stupid. He almost lost himself to the feeling a second time but, without the surprise factor, he found that his mental faculties were a bit more capable and he pulled away, using every ounce of restraint that he possessed in the process.

"Alice, what…what are we doing?"

"Do you have a problem with what we're doing, Sōma-kun? I certainly don't."

"But…we're not together anymore, right?"

Alice sighed, her breath ghosting against Sōma's ear and making him shiver in a way that he was not prepared for. At all.

"No. We are most certainly broken up. I refuse to be anyone's second fiddle, no matter how good their reasoning. But for tonight, just for tonight…we can forget. Ok?"

Alice moved to begin kissing Sōma again but he placed a finger to her lips, halting her advance.

"Is this what you want, Alice?" Sōma asked, his eyes staring into hers. She could see the desire in his eyes clear as day. It said a lot about his willpower and his concern for her that he risked ruining the mood by asking. Alice smiled in response, nipping playfully at his finger. She reached into her skirt pocket, pulling out a small, grey box.

"Yes, Sōma, you stupidly sweet man. This is what I want."

Sōma looked at the box held in Alice's hands. He squinted at it before she rotated it and showed him the cover. His eyes widened and he looked up at her, to find her looking back at him, her expression open and vulnerable.

"I want this, Sōma. I want you. All of you. Even if it's just for tonight."

Sōma didn't respond and Alice took that as a sign to continue speaking, her words containing nervousness, excitement and fear in equal measure.

"I'm not that kind of girl usually, Sōma-kun, just so you know. And I know I said I would wait for you, and I will! But I'm not stupid; the road ahead isn't going to be easy and I don't want to ask myself what could have been, in case anything happens. And our health science teacher gave these out to all of the girls in class, so it wasn't like I went out and bought them or anything, so it wasn't as if I had designs on you. I mean, I did. But I had a plan, well, not a plan per se. But an idea, a framework, of how this was going to go and I-"

Sōma kissed Alice, cutting her off in the most pleasant of ways. He reached up and took the condoms from her hands and he smiled at her, even as she blushed a brilliant scarlet and looked away from him.

"Alice. Stop talking."

And those were the final, coherent sentences spoken in Yukihira Sōma's room that night.

* * *

 **A/N: Gotta admit, that break felt wonderful. But it also made me anxious to write, which is a good thing I suppose? Again, apologies for my lies last chapter. I know I said that the PSD shokugeki was going to be fully done in this chapter but…I'll be honest. The characters took me in a completely different direction. Blame them, blame them! Not me!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed it and also, note that the pairing for the story has officially been removed. Let me explain why. As this story is ongoing, I plan to update the characters and pairings accordingly to reflect what is most up to date. And, as of this chapter, Alice and Sōma have officially broken up. Despite their more…** _ **amorous**_ **…moments at the end there.**

 **Does this mean that Alice/Sōma won't get back together? No. Does this mean they WILL get back together? Again, No. Nisegami's an evolving project and my characters, while fictional, do grow and change with the story itself. So whether they end up together or not is something that you will have to wait to learn, I suppose. Hope you guys all enjoyed this week's update! Pleas review and give me your love/indifference/hatred!**


	16. Interlude

Rindō had always known she was a little different.

That's a lie. She hadn't known, at first. But it was easy enough to figure out. Other kids acted differently. They were…simpler? Slower? Duller? She wasn't sure, she just knew that, whatever the difference between her and them, it was significant. And she didn't like it. And so she, in turn, didn't like them. Which meant she absolutely hated school.

The assignments were nothing; so easy that Rindō didn't even bother sometimes ("Kobayashi-san, can you please speak with Rindō-chan? Look at this! Her grades in my class, they're all hundreds or zeros! It's like she doesn't care.") But the social aspect of school was another beast entirely.

Rindō didn't like it. She didn't like mulling around and interacting with such _children_. Even if she, by all rights, counted as one. It was like being forced to associate with a bunch of dolls, plastic, fake and spouting the same things over and over.

It was Rindō's mother that showed her just how fun dolls could be.

("You see Rindō-chan, other people are what you want them to be. And they're often simply too much fun to manipulate. Take me and your father, for instance. You think he does laundry because he _likes_ it?")

Oh yes, Rindō's mother had shown her just how easy it was to make dolls dance to your tune. Of course, it didn't always work. Sometimes dolls broke, or didn't work like they were supposed to, but that was part of the fun as well! It was never predictable. Never the same. Never boring, once she had a hand in things.

In a startlingly small amount of time, Rindō all but ruled over her schoolmates. Not directly, of course. But it was she that had the ear of the strongest; the prettiest; the most popular. With one whispered word, Rindō could raise or tear others down as she wished and she did it, often and with great pleasure.

One week, Aizawa-chan was the queen bee of Rindō's year. The next week, a nasty rumour about her delinquent older brother saw her a pariah, forced to share her lunch table with the sorts of girls she'd snidely gossiped about only days before. Rindō offered her former friend a conciliatory pat on the shoulder along with a swift denial to her tentative request to sit with her.

Mato was leading the class in grades; he was set to earn the top spot on the rankings come the end of the year. Rindō beat him out handily, despite the middling grades she'd averaged for most of the year before. It had helped that an accident had ruined the diorama that he'd created for his final project. He'd still gotten some credit, but not nearly as much as he should've. And if Rindō grinned just a little bit too widely when she heard the news then; well, who could blame her?

Gon was the leading athlete of the school and the star of the elementary soccer league; Rindō made him bento boxes and whispered in his ear, leading him by the nose on a crush, despite the fact that she was two years below him. When the championships were upon them, Gon played terribly; barely making an average showing. Their school lost by two goals and no one questioned why Rindō laughed so hard at the conclusion. It would only be later that the rumours circulated that Gon had been dumped by his girlfriend after waiting up for her all night in the rain at a spot she'd designated. No one remarked on the timing; instead they simply shook their heads and made snide remarks about Gon "The Sure Foot" Idate.

Rindō's father was not entirely ignorant of the kind of person Rindō was becoming. She said the right things, did the right amount of chores with just the right amount of childish rebellion but he could read between the lines. He knew the woman he married and the child he'd raised. And he could tell that his wife had her hooks deep within their only daughter.

("For the last time Nado-kun, I do not want any more children.")

He'd tried speaking with Rindō with his wife present; explaining to his daughter the difference between right and wrong; to teach her about things like compassion, trust and respect for others. All he'd gotten in return was a blank stare from both Kobayashi women. At least Rindō had the decency to not follow hers up with a round of raucous laughter.

In desperation, he'd made one last attempt to help his daughter. He showed her several pages he'd printed; an array of various boarding schools. They all varied in size, specialty, style, student body composition. In fact, the only thing they all had in common was that none of them were within easy visiting distance of the Kobayashi residence.

Rindō's father hadn't meant to print out the listing for Tōtsuki Culinary Academy. It had been a simple mistaken click of the keys and he'd laughed and proceeded to throw that particular entry away. But that simple action made Rindō latch onto it, amidst his protests about the exorbitant costs and the sheer impracticality of the idea ("Rindō-chan, you don't even like cooking that much. Can you even make anything that's not rice balls or salmon sushi wraps?")

Rindō had simply laughed and filed her application the next day. She'd even applied for the scholarship; a prestigious award given to less than a dozen of Tōtsuki's first year middle schoolers (which typically had class sizes in the hundreds). The test had been simple; the scholarship applicants had been presented with ten dishes. They had ten minutes to choose and consume the dish that best exemplified Mongolian cuisine.

Rindō had thought about the challenge for a minute; and then simply picked all ten plates clean. She told the stunned proctors that there was nothing in the rules about only selecting a single dish and, in a fit of flurried paperwork consultation and calls to the Director, Rindō became the first and last person to be awarded the Nakiri Scholarship Award via that particular loophole.

It wasn't until halfway through middle school at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy that Rindō stumbled across someone who proved to be interesting. He wasn't a person, no. He was a doll, just like the rest of them. But he was different in that he was such a failure. He shook like a leaf; barely spoke in class and his work in class went up in flames more often than not. He received so many E's that, at one point, he was one E away from expulsion. If he was an actual doll, he would've been tossed on the reject pile long ago and never put on the shelves.

People mocked him; he was a no name from a no name family. Much like Rindō herself, although with none of the Dark Horse's talent.

("The Dark Horse? THAT'S what they're calling you? Rindō-chan, we sent you there to make friends!")

("Speak for yourself, Nado-kun. Good job baby!")

He was the dunce; the dead last; the hopeless case that, while pleasant enough to speak with and interact with, was avoided because, at the competitively minded Tōtsuki, such ineptitude was regarded like the plague and no one wanted to risk it spreading to them.

And then, one day, when Rindō saw the boy in the halls, shoulders hunched and head down, she had an idea. An idea for what could prove to be her best work yet, if she was able to pull it off. It would also be a glorious prank; a hilarious and blatant middle finger to pretty much every single student in the 90th Generation. If she succeeded, then she would have found just what she needed to prove that she was, as always, much smarter than everyone else.

("Tsukasa-kun! Stop sulking in the corner and come have lunch with me.")

And when Tsukasa Eishi soared under her wing, and quickly beat out every single chef in their class aside from her, Rindō could only laugh and willingly concede the #1 spot in the 90th Generation to him just in time for them to begin their freshman year at Tōtsuki.

Him becoming first seat at the end of their second year was just icing on the cake and Rindō laughed harder than she ever had, even as she lost out and became the second seat. She'd created a monster and she loved it. A borderline manic depressive teenager had been turned into an engine of inconceivable power in the cooking world.

Without her, Tsukasa Eishi would've been another washout to join the hundreds of washouts that Tōtsuki churned out every year. Instead, he was the White Knight of the Table, a name that was borderline household in the culinary world, even though he had yet to graduate. He was also her best friend, a feat that surprised the both of them more than any culinary success ever had once they actually realized it.

Rindō had believed that was it; what else could she do to top that? She'd created a worldwide cooking sensation from practically nothing at all. She'd essentially pulled one over on the entire culinary world. She'd been convinced that she'd hit her peak and that there was nowhere to go but down, now. And she figured that she may as well take Tōtsuki with her. It would be a fun ride, and her generation would be remembered as the last of the true great Tōtsuki chefs for quite some time, until Azami got too ahead of himself and got himself ousted by some do-gooder alumni.

But then she'd met Yukihira Sōma. And Rindō had found him interesting; a little cute but mostly just funny. So different from the usual Tōtsuki student. Another no name from a no name family. And he'd been the only transfer student to pass Erina-chan's exam to boot!

("Huh? You're telling me that you failed him but the Demon King of Food himself overruled you…")

("Rindō-senpai, cease your incessant cackling this instant!")

And then she'd met him again. Met _him_. The real Sōma, underneath the layers of obfuscating stupidity and cheer, the one that had only come to light after he'd been stripped bare in Azami's _care_.

("That monochrome reject thinks he's won; he thinks he's beaten us; beaten **me**. And he couldn't be more wrong. With your help, I could show him just how wrong he is. Doesn't that sound like fun?")

Sōma's attempts at manipulating her had been effective; blatant and transparent, but effective. He didn't rely on guile or deception; he relied on suggesting to her simple truths and showing that he had the means to carry them out. And someone like Rindō was all about results.

Tsukasa had been a successful experiment; a triumph if Rindō had ever had one.

But Sōma…if she played her cards right, Sōma could be so much more.

("Why not? I've got nothing better to do, Yukihira-kun.")

Tsukasa had been a pawn that she made into a Knight. Sōma…Sōma could become a King.

* * *

"Kaa-chan, kaa-chan!"

Yukihira Kumi looked down at her son, quirking one eyebrow at him. Her green Yukihira shirt fit snugly over her, a new stain to join the rest on her sleeve. She wondered what had caused it before shrugging and accepting that it could've been any number of things. It had been a busy day for Yukihira's.

"Yes, Soso-kun?"

"Help! Let me help!"

Kumi hummed indulgently as she continued to chop vegetables. Sōma, for all his youthful naiveté, had gotten that particular noise one too many times to be fooled. That was the noise his mom said when she was trying to stall and hope he got distracted by something else. Well, no more! He was three and a half. He was practically all grown up!

Kumi didn't take note of her son's uncharacteristic silence. She continued to chop vegetables, dicing the onions for the dish she was about to prepare. It was only when she heard a grating, sliding noise that she turned and looked to see Sōma dragging a box towards her. It seemed to be causing him some trouble but the boy had determination and energy to spare and, soon, the box was right beside Kumi's feet.

Sōma hopped up on it and puffed his chest out proudly.

"See? I'm tall enough now. I can reach things!"

He picked up a tomato. For emphasis of his newfound reach. The gesture provoked a laugh from Kumi and she patted Sōma on his head.

"You know what? Fine. If I show you a few things, will you stop nagging me?"

Sōma nodded vigorously.

"Yea, I promise!"

Kumi smiled, even though she was well aware that the promises of children had a lifespan about as long as their attention spans. She held up the knife in her hands, showing it to Sōma.

"This, Soso-kun is a utility knife. It's useful for cutting vegetables and some meats."

She moved to stand behind him and placed the knife in his hand. She held her palm over his and placed an onion in front of him. She took his other hand and placed it on the onion, over the back of the bulb.

"See, you hold it like this and you hold the vegetable like this and then you just…"

She put some pressure down and Sōma followed her lead, cutting into the onion. His eyes widened as if he'd just found gold.

"Wow…"

Kumi led him through a few more slices while she spoke, telling him of the things onions could be used for and how important it was that he be cautious whenever the knife was near his fingers.

"I'm tough, kaa-chan. I'm not afraid!"

"This isn't about fear, Soso-kun. It's about caution. And maintaining your tools. As a chef, your hands are your greatest weapons. If you damage those, then you're not going to be as strong as you should be. It's like…imagine you were a samurai. Would you go into battle with a broken sword?"

"Um…no?"

"Then, as a chef, why would you go into the kitchen with damaged hands?"

Kumi wondered if her analogy had been a bit too complex for her young charge but Sōma's eyes lit up in a display of determination that was much too reminiscent of his father.

"I get it."

"Alright then, why don't you try and continue cutting on your own?"

Kumi lifted her hands from Sōma's and he raised the knife into the air.

"Ah, Soso-kun!"

Kumi reached out and gripped Sōma' right hand firmly.

"You don't need to raise the knife so high. What if you put your eye out?"

Sōma blinked up at his mother.

"But…I'm a samurai. Isn't that how samurais do things?"

Kumi resisted the urge to laugh. It seemed like her metaphor had been a bit too high level after all. She proceeded to explain to Sōma the risks involved with cutting things in the kitchen, guiding him through cutting the remainder of the onion. She then showed him how to set the stove and utilize stock. Followed by seasoning meat and prepping noodles.

By the time Joichiro returned home for the day, his wife and son were in the kitchen laughing to themselves at Sōma's first dish. Sōma urged him to try it and, upon doing so, Joichiro almost threw up. His cheeks were green and his eyes were downcast but he smiled at Sōma and tousled his hair.

"Like father, like son."

Sōma smiled in return, missing the look his father gave his mother over his head. And the heated discussion that began later that night.

"What did you think would happen Joichiro? He has two chefs for parents and we run a diner together. Do you think he just would ignore all that and become…I don't know, a salary man?"

"I don't know either Kumi, I just know that I never wanted him to be a chef."

Joichiro's eyes were hooded. He sat on their bed, not looking at his wife but instead staring at the wall. Kumi sat up behind him, her arms crossed, indignant.

"There's no shame in it, you know."

"It's not about shame."

Joichiro cut her off, almost sharply.

"If Sōma's anything like me…if the Saiba blood persists in him, then he's going to end up in Tōtsuki and he's going to be the second coming of the Asura, all over again."

"Joichiro."

Kumi climbed onto the bed and threw her arms around Joichiro's shoulders, almost sending them both to the floor with her unexpected manoeuvre. She raised a fist and knuckled it into her husband's head, provoking a groan and a half-hearted attempt to escape.

"Sōma's not just a Saiba, Joichiro. He's a Yukihira too. And my family line may not be stocked full of prodigies like yours, but there is something that we Yukihiras are known for."

Joichiro smiled ruefully and he leaned back into his wife's embrace.

"Family."

They said the word in unison and, even though he couldn't see her, Joichiro knew she was smiling. He could feel it.

"I believe in our son, ok? I want you to believe in him too."

Joichiro didn't respond verbally. Instead he simply nodded and took one of his wife's hands in his own. He rubbed his calloused thumb over her palm, the softness belying the amount of time the woman spent in the kitchen.

They didn't say anything; they simply continued to sit and enjoy each other's presence. For a few minutes anyway.

"HI-YAH!"

Kumi felt a weight crash into her back. Which pushed her forward. Which meant that Joichiro, who was already seated on the edge of the bed was pushed forward as well. This meant that, despite the panicked scrambling the adults, they all fell forward and onto the floor in a heap. A heap crowned by Sōma's small form.

"Surprise attack success!"

Sōma held up two fingers victoriously, smiling brightly down at his parents. Joichiro groaned from his position under his family while Kumi simply bucked, sending Sōma forward into a roll onto the floor that ended with her arms around his neck as she plastered him with kisses.

"Ah, no…kaa-chan, stop. Stop! Gross!"

"I call this my revenge technique: death by a thousand smooches!"

She continued her assault, which only provoked cries of disgust from her son. That is, until Joichiro got his bearings and began his own counterattack. His fingers came up and dug into his wife's sides, wiggling mercilessly.

"Ack! No, haha, Jo-kun, stop it…hahahaha! Please, no!"

Her attack on Sōma forgotten, Kumi tried to remove Joichiro's fingers from her sides. Her efforts were helped by Sōma, who immediately began attacking his father in defence of his mother. His teeth sunk into Joichiro's shoulder, biting down through the cloth of the chef's shirt he wore.

"Hey, what the hell! I was trying to defend you, you ungrateful shrimp!"

"Yea, but boys always protect girls, right?"

Faced by the two pronged assault of his wife and his child, Joichiro collapsed back dramatically, begging for mercy. Only to rise back up and continue once Sōma had relinquished the grip his teeth had on him.

After several minutes of spirited wrestling, the family of three lay together on the floor, panting. Sōma was nestled in the middle of Joichiro and Kumi, his childish well of energy spent, at least for the moment. Joichiro looked over at his wife, who was red faced and glaring at him. He knew how much she hated being tickled.

"I love you, you know?"

"I know you do. _Baka_."

Her response was only half serious and she leaned over, giving Joichiro a peck on his cheek.

As they lay there, Joichiro thought. About the legacy of his family. Both the one he'd created and the one that had created him. And as he thought, he finally came to a decision that had been on his mind more and more. Now that he'd finally decided, he just needed to get approval for it.

"Hey, Sōma?"

Sōma looked up at his father questioningly.

"How would you like to become a Yukihira?"

Sōma tilted his head. He seemed confused.

"Um…tou-san, aren't I already a Yukihira?"

Joichiro smiled down at his son and ruffled his hair.

"Well yea, of course. But you don't have the Yukihira name."

"Jo-kun…"

He silenced Kumi with a wave of his hand, giving her an insistent look.

"I'm thinking you and me can go downtown tomorrow and change our names together, huh? What do you say?"

Sōma held his chin, thinking. He'd been Saiba Sōma for as long as he could remember.

"Why, tou-san?"

The question, despite the innocence with which it was asked, was a loaded one. Joichiro thought about what being a Saiba entailed; what his family embodied. He thought about what his brother would say, let alone his father. And then he thought about just how complicated things had the potential to be, if he went through with this.

He shrugged.

"It just sounds cooler, ya know? Not to mention the diner's still named Yukihira's. You know how silly we look working in the family restaurant without the family name?"

Kumi looked over at Joichiro, aghast. That was the reasoning he was trying to use on Sōma? Who'd been told more than once by his grandfather about the importance of the Saiba line and how they were meant to…

"Ok!"

Kumi wasn't sure what was more surprising. Sōma's agreement or the fact that she wasn't surprised by it in the least. She looked down at Sōma who was grinning up at her.

"Ah…are you sure, Soso-kun?"

"Yea, I like your name kaa-chan. It's nice."

And, with that simple declaration, followed by a visit to the local ward office the very next day, Saiba Sōma and Saiba Joichiro were Saibas no more.

* * *

Senzaemon knocked on the door. After a scant few seconds, the door was opened and he was greeted by his granddaughter. Her face was flat and smooth; too poised and controlled for a five year old. Senzaemon withheld a sigh. He didn't want his granddaughter to think that he was admonishing her; she didn't react well to that sort of thing.

"Good afternoon, Erina-chan. How are you?"

"I am doing well, ojii-chan."

The address was said without any sort of affection. It was said the way a soldier might respond to his commanding officer or the way a servant might respond to its master. Prompt, polite and distant. Even the chan had only been added at his insistence; ojii-sama was simply too much.

"And what have you been doing to pass the time on this beautiful day, granddaughter?"

"Working."

The young girl opened the door and gestured for her grandfather to follow her. Senzaemon accepted the invitation and found that a large dining table had been brought to Erina's room. On it sat several containers and boxes of varying size, uniform plastic containers branded with the Nakiri crest.

Erina clambered onto the chair that seemed just a bit too big for her and held up a notebook that was hidden among the takeout containers. The page it was opened to was filled with meticulous, if somewhat inexpert, handwriting.

"I've been having Riza and Cato go out to several restaurants in the surrounding area and retrieve food for me to sample."

Senzaemon felt like he knew his granddaughter's purpose with this particular venture. Nakiris didn't eat takeout, even from gourmet restaurants.

"I see. And have any of them been to your liking?"

"Of course not."

Erina's reply was swift and final. Her tone implied that Senzaemon must have been ill to consider her answer would be anything but.

"They're all subpar. To a ludicrous degree. _As the heir to the Nakiri family, it's my duty t-t-to …_ "

At Erina's last sentence, her voice had gone from haughty and supercilious to blank and lifeless and she began stuttering and the notebook began to shake. Senzaemon felt his heart break just a little bit more at the sight of his trembling, stuttering granddaughter. Her fits had been getting less and less frequent but he still felt devastated each time one occurred. Without thinking, Senzaemon reached forward to take her smaller hand in his. At the last second he remembered and tried to pull back but it was too late. His hand landed on her wrist.

Erina didn't scream. She didn't cry, she didn't shake, she didn't shiver. Instead she simply froze. The second Senzaemon's hand closed around her wrist, she stopped moving. The book was held still in her rigid fingers and she didn't move, even when Senzaemon released her wrist.

"Erina-chan…Erina-chan, please."

The blonde child didn't respond. She simply continued staring forward, her eyes unfocused and her mind elsewhere. Right now she wasn't in her bedroom with her loving grandfather. She was back downstairs in that candle lit cellar, alone in the darkness and the cold.

Senzaemon looked down at the sight of his still progeny and tried to keep his composure. He felt the usual combination of mourning and anger and cursed Nakamura Azami for what he'd wrought. He also cursed himself for ever allowing that sociopath into his family. Even at his daughter's behest. He should've still been able to see what kind of man Azami was; he was the director of one of the most prestigious schools in the world. He interacted with board members, faculty, administrators and students on a daily basis. If anyone should be a good judge of character, it should be him.

Senzaemon removed a small vial from his pocket. It resembled the small spritzers used to sample cologne in department stores. He held it near Erina and sprayed two short bursts in the air around her. He looked down at the vial, shaking its contents thoughtfully. It seemed to be just barely over empty. He'd have to ask that man to send him more, when he got the chance.

The potent mixture started to do its work and Senzaemon watched as, slowly but surely, Erina was brought back to the present by the distinct scent that was Saiba Joichiro's cooking. Purple eyes blinked and she looked up at her grandfather.

"Ojii-chan, do you smell something…odd?"

"Well, you do have quite the aromatic feast in front of you. Perhaps it's that?"

Erina frowned but didn't argue the point. She rarely argued these days, with anyone except for the servants. It was disappointing, considering what a fiery spirited child she'd been a few short months ago.

"Well, anyway. As I was saying, these restaurants are simply not fit to exist. As the rightful heir to the Nakiri family, I can't allow this to pass. Which is why I'm taking notes and sending strongly worded letters to the-"

A knock at Erina's door interrupted her and Senzaemon stood, trying to hide his excitement. Even now, after so many things had failed, he continued to hope that the next idea he came up with would be what Erina needed to truly heal. He had particular faith in this one, especially. He walked over to the door and opened it, speaking briefly to someone unseen before stepping to the side to let that person past him. The Nakiri heiress looked warily over the little fortress of takeout containers she had amassed to see who had entered her domain.

A girl her age stood in front of the table. She had short pink hair and earnest brown eyes. She wore a purple sun dress with white edging; a style of dress that Erina herself preferred when she was out in public. A small container was nestled in the crook of her left arm. She curtseyed politely with one hand before standing up and grinning widely.

"A pleasant afternoon to you, I'm Arato Hisako. You're Nakiri Erina, right?"

Erina felt thrown by the girl's upfront and direct attitude. She was more used to simpering and deference; her grandfather and…someone else…being the sole exceptions. She quickly righted herself however and responded.

"Yes, indeed I am. I see you've heard of me and my legendary tongue."

"Legendary tongue? Oh, does it get like really long? Or change color?"

Erina blinked down rapidly at the girl's sparkling eyes. Who did she think she was? Some sort of freak of nature?

"No. It doesn't."

"Oh, then…why is it legendary?"

Erina felt her face start to warm and she snapped at the girl.

"Because my palate is divine! It's the best in the world, bar none. I've been judging dishes since before I could walk, you ignorant commoner!"

"Hey, just 'cause your mansion is bigger doesn't mean you get to call me names! The Aratos are important people too, you know!"

Hisako puffed out her chest proudly. Erina found herself at a loss. Luckily, Hisako seemed to be willing to do enough talking for the both of them.

"Oh, and I guess that's why Otou-san wanted me to make this for you then."

Hisako stepped forward and slid the oval container onto the table. She had to go on her tiptoes to nudge it forward, until it sat directly in front of Erina, who was looking down at it warily.

"It's a nikuman, stuffed with quail meat! I made the spice profile myself. With a little help from my mom, anyway. Try it Legend-Tongue-san!"

Erina found herself opening the plastic container before she really considered whether the fair of some random child was worthy of her. She picked up the large, white dumpling and bit into it. She chewed thoughtfully and then swallowed, placing the reminder of the dumpling back into the container. Hisako smiled at her eagerly, still on her tip toes so she could peer over the table's edge at where Erina sat.

"Well?"

"It's horrible."

"W-What?"

"Nikuman are meat stuffed dumplings, served from stalls usually. A classic commoner's dish. Street food. Which already makes it worthy of dismissal outright. But here, you clearly used too much flour in your dough. The quail meat is too tender and it wasn't marinated well at all. In addition I have no trouble believing you made this spice profile yourself, as it is simply…what are you doing?"

Erina had stopped her clinical critique when she saw Hisako step back from the table, her shoulders shaking. Her brown eyes were staring at Erina from behind a film of moisture and her breathing was coming in pants. Erina stood up in her chair, peering down at the other girl, which only served to make her seem scarier. Not that she could've known that. Hisako stepped back, taking in a deep, shaky breath. Erina narrowed her eyes.

"Arato-san. I implore you to-"

"WAHHHHHH!"

Whatever Erina was going to say was drowned out by the loud, wailing sob of the pink haired girl. She covered her eyes with her hands, tear tracks running down her face as she continued wailing, her cries bouncing around Erina's room in a cacophony of injured, childish pride.

Erina flailed her hands, trying to calm the girl down to no avail. She hopped out of her chair and walked around the table until she was in front of the girl. She reached out but hesitated, unsure of what to do. Bereft of ideas, she picked up the dumpling she'd bit into, cramming it into her mouth. She chewed vigorously, working through the lump of meat, dough and spices until her mouth was clear. She shoved the empty container towards the girl.

"See, look. I've finished your dumpling. Is that what you wanted?"

Hisako peeked out between her fingers, her eyes still flowing with tears. Her sobs stopped as she closed her mouth, sniffling and wiping at her eyes. She took the handkerchief Erina offered her wordlessly, blowing her nose into it before handing it back. Erina took the snot soaked rag before realizing just exactly what she'd done. She looked down at her pinched fingers in disgust before stomping over and tossing the cloth into the garbage bin.

"So…so you actually liked it?"

Erina turned around to look back at Hisako, who was staring back at her, brown eyes now tinted red but also full of hope. As if she hadn't just been bawling five seconds before.

"No. It was terrible."

Hisako's eyes widened and she opened her mouth, in what would surely be the beginning of another bout of crying.

"Stop!"

The authoritative tone in Erina's voice stopped Hisako cold; it was something to hear. Erina spent so much of her time ordering around adults ten times her age that she'd developed quite the ability to imbue her words with importance and command. A handy skill for stopping petulant children, as Erina would come to find out that day.

"No more of that. Yes. It wasn't good. But…it wasn't that bad. For your first try. I…I would never sell it in a restaurant but it could pass for a snack you made for yourself or your friends at school…alright?"

The grudging, almost-compliment was the most praise Erina had given in months and it showed on her face.

"If you like, I could tell you where you went wrong. It would help you make this something passable, at the very least."

"Really?"

The eagerness in Hisako's voice made Erina blush and she looked away, crossing her arms.

"Well, it's not like I want to. But…as a Nakiri, it's my duty to ensure that food isn't sullied. So…yes."

"Let's go then!"

"Wait, hold on-unhand me this instant!"

Hisako ignored Erina's plea and continued pulling her by the hand towards the door, picking up her pace and forcing Erina to match it as they made their way into the halls.

"Senzaemon-sama already told me we could use the kitchens but it's almost dark and I'll have to go home soon! So we have to hurry!"

Hisako continued running, pulling along the sputtering, red faced blonde as they ventured down the hall, completely bypassing the two men that stood in an alcove a short distance down from Erina's room. Senzaemon laughed to himself as he watched his granddaughter stumble after the Arato's youngest, her offended voice echoing down the halls.

"See, what did I tell ya old man? This isn't a problem that stuffy grownups like us can fix."

Joichiro grinned cheekily at the Nakiri patriarch from his spot on the wall on the opposite side of the alcove. He had his bag slung across his shoulder as he usually did, and was dressed in worn jeans with a t-shirt that had seen better days. He looked like a tumbleweed that had just rolled in. Which was what he was, really.

"Erina-chan'll be right as rain once she gets out and finds some real friends her own age. That Arato girl's a step in the right direction, I'm sure of it."

"I'm inclined to agree with you, although it doesn't sit well with me to leave Erina in such…petite hands, as it were."

The subtle jab made Joichiro chuckle, a low timbre that suited the Asura.

"When that bastard did what he did, it was adults that reinforced it. They praised her and applauded her for her impeccable pedigree and flawless taste. It was adults that confirmed every sick, little standard Azami embedded into her psyche. Adults that, even now, bow to her and move at her every command, out of respect for her blood and her tongue."

Joichiro's voice had a sardonic, bitter edge to it. It made his words even more cutting than they already were.

"Adults have fallen over the very ground she walks on for as long as she can remember. So she already sees herself as above them; above the "commoners" as she calls them. And those adults that she respects, the ones she sees as worthy...Azami, Katsumi, you…even me. We all failed her, even if she doesn't say it, or even realize it. No, adults won't fix this."

"Erina is a child. And children…children have this sort of eager sincerity; this honesty and frankness that simply doesn't work in polite society once they get older. Kids can be kind; they can be cruel and they can be anything in between. But pretty much all of them will be honest with it. And that's what Erina needs. She needs other kids. She needs to realize that she's not alone. That she'll never be alone again. "

"For her sake, I hope you're right Saiba-kun."

Joichiro looked over at the older man and quirked an eyebrow.

"I told you old man, it's Yukihira now. It's been Yukihira for over a year."

Senzaemon glanced over at Joichiro, who seemed to be doing his best to appear casual. As if abandoning the Saiba name was something to take lightly.

"Speaking of which, how is your son doing?"

"Sōma? He's good. Wild, little kid. Full of energy. He kinda reminds me of...well, me I guess."

Joichiro scratched his cheek, unable to keep the prideful grin off of his face.

"Despite that though, I see tons of Kumi in him too. He's kinder and more caring than I ever was."

"That's good to hear. And where is he now then?"

Joichiro blinked, rubbing at his beard.

"Oh, I think he's downstairs somewhere? He won't break anything, promise. And he knows to stay inside. Honestly, he's probably found his way to the kitchens…by…now…"

Joichiro met Senzaemon's eyes with a mutual look of horror.

"Shit."

Joichiro dropped his bag and sprinted down the hallway, Senzaemon hot on his heels as they made their way to the kitchens in what must have been record time, their fear giving their feet wings. They hoped to get there fast enough to prevent a tragedy. They failed.

And so it was that Nakiri Erina and Arato Hisako met Yukihira Sōma for the first time. Neither would recall the meeting in later years, however, since they would both be knocked unconscious soon afterwards by what Sōma called "his best work yet".

Almost a decade later, when the redhead confronts the pair again at the transfer exam for Tōtsuki Culinary Academy, he would wonder why they seemed so familiar, having long forgotten about that oh-so-brief encounter from his childhood. And the girls would wonder why the very sight of him filled them with both annoyance and disgust, despite being certain that they'd never laid eyes on the boy before in their lives.

* * *

 **A/N: So, tried something a bit different here. This chapter, as I'm sure you noticed, isn't a "real" chapter, in a sense. It's an interlude that provides some backstory for three of our main characters, Rindō, Sōma and Erina. While not strictly plot relevant, it does flesh out said characters a bit (along with chibi Hisako, yay!)**

 **Depending on how people enjoy this one, I may do this again, as the story progresses to provide backstory that, while interesting, may not work to advance the plot. Imagine an Alice interlude, a Tsukasa interlude or even an Azami interlude! So tell me what you guys think and if you would like to see me do something like this again in the future. Honest feedback will help me make a firm decision. Hope you enjoyed!**


	17. Chapter 16

**A/N: There's a poll on my profile now! See the A/N at the bottom for more details.**

* * *

As he started to wake up, Sōma noticed that he felt…relaxed. And content. Which was surprising to him, even though this wasn't the first time he'd felt this way recently. Still though, after months of somewhat restless sleep, it was a pleasant surprise to be able to wake up like this, feeling like he'd had a good night's rest.

The reason for that became quickly apparent to him as he felt something shift next to him. Someone, actually. He cracked his eyes open, squinting as he found his sight filled with Nakiri Alice's face. She was cuddled into the side of his chest; her arms wrapped around him in a grip that was probably a bit too tight. But he didn't mind, he'd grown used to it. Many a night spent on her cushion had taught him that.

He blinked sleepily as he heard knocking on his door. That's probably what had woken him up in the first place, considering how difficult it was for him to wake up when he was with his girlfriend. It usually took Kurokiba to come and…

Sōma's eyes snapped open as what had happened yesterday finally began to overtake his lethargy. Rindō's meddling, his confessions to Alice, their fight, the letters and then… _this_. He looked down, as if seeking confirmation, but the bare legs and soft mounds he felt against his equally bared body was more than enough. He found himself beginning to smile, only to pause at the sound of another knock on his door.

"Yo, Yukihira. You awake in there?"

The voice of Kurokiba Ryo through the closed door made Sōma wonder at what the aide could've wanted. A small shift against him made him realize exactly what the boy had probably come here looking to inquire about. Sōma resisted the urge to gasp as he began to look around desperately for his chain. As much as he hated the damn thing, the calm it forced on him would be really useful right now. He tried to lever himself up out of the bed but the quiet murmur and tightening of Alice's arms around him made him stop. Her eyes blinked open sleepily, looking up at him in a post-sleep haze.

He cleared his throat, wondering if the sound of his heart racing was as audible as it seemed.

"Good morning, Kurokiba-san. Is there something you needed?"

Sōma's voice was calm, even and detached. Just as it usually was, and just as it should be.

"Was just wondering if you had any idea where Alice-ojou was. She doesn't look like she's been in her room since last night."

Ryo's voice was at its usual calm and lazy tenor, but there was still a hint of tension behind it. For all his skill at hiding his emotions, it was clear that he was still more than unhappy with the red head.

Alice blinked again, raising a hand to rub at her eye. She looked around at the room before looking back at Sōma. Sōma could practically see the moment when everything clicked. Alice's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open, only for Sōma to reach out and cover it. And not a moment too soon.

He winced as he wondered if Ryo heard the muffled shriek. He winced again as Alice bit his hand, glaring at him over his fingers.

"I'm not completely certain, Kurokiba-san."

Alice lifted one hand, making a few gestures at Sōma. At his confused look, she rolled her eyes and mimed a few more shapes and figures that Sōma struggled to interpret.

"Although I believe she…went out last night. With…Erina?"

Alice nodded, causing Sōma to sigh in relief. Ryo's next words made that relief very short lived.

"So she spent the night at Polar Star then?"

"Ah…yes, she did."

The sharp pinch at Sōma's side made Sōma hiss and he looked down to find Alice glaring at him, her eyes narrowed in an angry expression.

"Mm. I see. Thanks."

Sōma waited until he couldn't hear the dull thumping of Ryo's footsteps before throwing the covers off of himself in what was supposed to be an attempt to get out of bed. As it were, he'd forgotten exactly what state he was in. And, more importantly, what state Alice was in.

" _Kyaaaa_!"

Sōma went tumbling forward, his naked form slamming into the floor, courtesy of a panicked shove from the equally naked girl in his bed who was doing her best to cover herself while she stammered embarrassedly. Sōma groaned as he groped around on the floor within his reach, his hand finding a familiar pair of soft pants.

He stood, tugging them on before turning around to meet the embarrassed gaze of his ex-girlfriend who was currently swaddled in his sheets.

"Um…good morning Alice?"

"Don't good morning me." she bit out, looking away from him as her cheeks grew an even darker red. "Not after what you did!"

Sōma arched his eyebrow at her before smiling lazily.

"What _I_ did? Don't you mean _we_?"

The joke earned him a badly thrown pillow and an embarrassed denial.

"Yukihira Sōma! You have such…such nerve!"

Sōma couldn't resist laughing at the affronted tone in her voice and he sat on the bed beside her, smiling.

"Forgive me, Alice. I seem to be in a good mood today. I wonder why?"

Sōma was prepared for a response and so he merely laughed and caught the slap that Alice attempted to dole out while still cocooned in his sheets. He pulled the girl towards him, wrapping his arms around her, despite the cotton barriers in his way. After a token struggle, Alice settled against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

They sat for a few minutes, enjoying the comfort and the silence. It was peaceful. Easy. And all too temporary. They both knew that and were both equally reluctant to break it. Alice threaded her fingers through Sōma's, enjoying the warmth that he seemed to perpetually carry with him. She raised his hand to her face, resting her cheek against it and sighing at the feeling of closeness and fire that was so _Sōma_.

"Alice…"

"Shush Sōma-kun. Just…shush. Let's enjoy this. For a little while, anyway."

Sōma sighed, his arms loosening.

"Alice, please I…"

"Sōma-kun, no. We can talk later. I just want to enjoy this."

"Me too Alice, but really we…"

"What, Sōma-kun? Why can't you just let us enjoy this moment for what it is?"

Alice turned to face Sōma and she found him looking back at her, his expression somewhere in between confused and alarmed.

"Because you have an exam in an hour. And I just told Kurokiba that you were at Polar Star."

"…Fuck."

"Indeed."

* * *

"Wait, I'm sorry. You want me to what?"

A sigh was heard on the other end of the phone.

"I need you to lie and tell Ryo, when he comes looking for me, that I spent the night with you and left to head back to the mansion a few minutes before he got there, ok?"

Erina hadn't actually needed to hear Alice repeat herself. She'd heard her perfectly the first time. She just couldn't really understand why the other girl needed her to do something like that.

"And why exactly am I lying to Kurokiba-kun? Are you two fighting or something?"

"Um…sort of?"

Erina rolled her eyes, not that her cousin could see. Alice, for all her intelligence, was a terrible liar. She could mislead and deceive with the best of them but when it came to outright lying, she was more than pitiful.

"What happened, Alice? Does this have something to do with Yukihira-kun?"

The gasp on the end of the line all but confirmed Erina's guess.

"N-n-no! Of course not, why would you think such a thing?"

"Well, considering what happened yesterday, I ju-"

"WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW OF WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY?!"

The sudden shriek caught Erina off guard and she held the phone at arm's length, rubbing her ear as she hear denial after furious denial sprout from the tiny speaker before being cut off abruptly. She put the phone back to her ear.

"Are you done?"

"She isn't, so I think it would be better if I spoke to you." responded someone else.

The unexpected, cool voice on the other end took Erina completely by surprise. She opened her mouth but then closed it, unsure of how to proceed. She hadn't seen Sōma since their ill-fated meeting on school grounds that night. And she still had no idea why he'd reacted the way he did.

"How are you, Erina?"

For all its clinical detachment, Erina thought she could hear a faint echo of genuine concern.

"I…I'm doing well, Yukihira-kun."

"That's good. I'm happy to hear it."

Erina didn't respond, letting the silence between them stretch onwards. Finally, she spoke.

"And you, Yukihira-kun? How have you been?"

The few seconds it took Sōma to answer was telling enough, even if his answer was frustratingly neutral.

"Alright."

Another silence stretched between them, one that was awkward and heavy. Erina licked her lips, wondering why all of the things she wanted to say seemed to have left her the second she heard Sōma's voice on the phone.

"Alice and I would really appreciate it if you would act as her alibi for last night. Things between Kurokiba and I are not…ideal. I'm afraid he wouldn't react well."

"React well to what, exactly?" she inquired hesitantly.

There. Erina could do this. She could have a conversation with this man. She'd just have to handle it slowly; work her way up to the questions that mattered. Like why he'd hurt her cousin.

"Ah, that's…I can't say much, I'm afraid. It's a private matter between Alice and I. Is that alright with you?"

"Ok yes, that's fine…" she said quietly.

What else could she say? What was one small lie compared to what he'd given her? She just wished she had the courage to actually speak her mind.

"Wonderful. Thank you. Alice appreciates it. I…I appreciate it as well."

Sōma's response was stilted, as if he wasn't really used to expressing gratitude. It was such a marked difference from the cavalier, failure accepting young man she remembered. The difference made her heart ache. Sōma began to speak again, his speech smooth once again.

"Well, I suppose that will be all Erina. Again, thank you."

"Wait, Yukihira-kun!" called out Erina.

"Yes?"

His surprise was mild but noticeable, which was fair, given how withdrawn she'd been throughout the entirety of the call.

"I have something I need to ask you." she said, her voice steady.

Sōma's response was delayed and, when he did respond, it was guarded.

"I'm listening."

"Are you prepared to lose tomorrow?"

Erina's tone was flippant and self-assured, almost arrogant in its sheer confidence. This was the voice of Nakiri Erina. The real Nakiri Erina.

After a few more seconds of tense waiting, Sōma responded. His voice was almost sad.

"For your sake, I hope not."

Before Erina could question the confusingly enigmatic statement, she heard the click of the call disconnecting and she sighed, staring at the blank face of her cell phone. She wondered if she should call back and question him further but she decided against it. She'd waited this long. She could wait another twenty four hours.

Erina got up and headed towards the door, taking the pink robe hanging from the back of it. She stripped down and placed her used clothes into a hamper before shrugging the bathrobe on and tying it tightly around her waist. She picked up the basket filled with bathing products before opening the door and heading out, humming to herself.

She was only in the hall for a few seconds before she looked down and realized she was missing something. Turning back, she slipped back into her room and picked up the little rubber duck that sat on her desk. She squeezed it, smiling softly at the _squeak_ it emitted.

"Come on Saki-chan." she cooed, placing the duck in the basket among her other sundries before heading to the bathroom. As she passed by room 302, the door opened and Megumi stepped out, clad similarly to Erina, although her robe was a soft blue.

"Ah, Erina-chan. Good morning."

"Same to you, Megumi-chan. Were you going to bathe as well? I can wait."

Megumi smiled, shaking her head.

"You don't have to. Why don't we just share the bath?"

It wouldn't be strange for them to do such a thing. Erina and Megumi had shared baths before on occasion, but Erina hadn't failed to notice that, since Sōma had returned, the other girl had made it a point to avoid having to do that with her. Erina wasn't sure why but that particular slight had hurt, even among all of the other, subtle things Megumi had done.

So to hear her being the one to offer made Erina both happier and more cautious than she would've expected.

"Are you sure, Megumi-chan? I know it may still be a bit difficult for you."

Megumi's smile dropped a bit but it still persisted.

"It's fine, Erina-chan. I promise. Besides, I could use some help washing my hair. I'm sure you could as well?"

The teasing jab made Erina smile, even as she swatted playfully at her friend.

"Tadokoro-san, are you trying to imply that my hair is anything but perfection?"

"Oh no, Nakiri-sama. I would never."

The demure, servile tone caused both girls to start laughing. And that laughter carried them all the way to the bathroom where they stripped down, although they were sure to flip the sign on the door to indicate the bathroom was occupied. Megumi had insisted on adding such a thing, scheduled times or no, after Sōma's unintended intrusion at the beginning of the year.

After they'd showered and taken turns lathering each other's hair, the two girls climbed into the bath, sinking into the hot water with identical, grateful sighs. They sat back, letting the heat from the water seep into their muscles and joints. Two rubber ducks floated in the steamy waters, slowly circulating throughout the large bathtub until one of them was grabbed by its owner.

Erina looked at the little duck in her hands and she squeezed it, the _squeak_ from the toy still making her smile, despite how long it had been since she'd received it.

"I see Saki-chan's doing well?"

Erina looked over at Megumi who had cracked one eye open to look over at her. Erina nodded simply in response, squeezing the toy again so that it almost seemed as if Saki itself had responded to her query.

"Do you remember when you first met Kawa-chan?"

Erina blushed at the reminder, looking away from Megumi's teasing grin.

It was a few days after Erina had officially moved into the dorm. Megumi had left the rubber duck floating in the bath, having forgotten about it in her rush to allow Erina her turn in the bath. Erina had gotten in and found herself confronted by the adorable lump of yellow rubber and had found herself enthralled. Megumi had come back in a few minutes later to find Erina cooing and whispering to the toy as she made it squeak out responses to her questions and statements.

Erina was so involved in the imaginary conversation that she didn't notice Megumi until the blue haired girl was practically standing right over her. Erina had scrambled and denied everything, handing Megumi the toy as if it was a nuisance, an inconvenience that had interrupted her bathing time before all but fleeing the bathroom.

The Megumi of the present day smiled at the blush on her friend's face.

"You know, Erina-chan. That was the first time I saw you. Like really saw you."

"What do you mean, Megumi-chan?" asked Erina, pausing in her attempt to propel Saki through the bath water with her hand motions alone.

"Well, it's just that…I mean, I knew who you were, obviously. From my first year at Tōtsuki, I'd heard about you. Nakiri Erina, the God's Tongue. The best of our generation. The princess of Tōtsuki, even in her first year of middle school. You were a legend, someone larger than life, really."

Erina didn't respond as she thought back to those days. The days when, for all of Hisako's eager servitude, she'd been all by herself. On a pedestal that was perfectly sized for her, with no room for anyone else.

"And when you came here, even though you needed our help, I think I still saw you as someone else; someone above the rest of us. I mean, I was just a girl from the backwoods of Tōhoku. My biggest worries were passing school and making my mother happy but you…you had so much more to deal with. It was like something out of a fairy tale; the princess needs to win back her kingdom from the wicked king that overthrew her."

"It…it isn't quite like that, Megumi-chan…"

Megumi shook her head, drawing her knees up under her chin.

"I know that now, Erina-chan. But in those first few days, it's what it felt like. It wasn't until I saw you with Kawa-chan that day that I realized you were just like me, in some ways. You may have been the God's Tongue but you were also a girl that liked playing with toys in the bath. And that made you…real to me. It made me understand you, at least a little bit."

Erina blushed again, but wondered why she somehow felt like she was blushing for completely different reasons.

"It's why I got kaa-chan to send me Saki-chan for you."

Erina blinked. She hadn't known that.

"Really? I thought you'd simply purchased another one from the same store for me."

Megumi shook her head.

"Not exactly. When I first moved to Tokyo to start attending Tōtsuki, I left Saki-chan home by accident and kaa-chan couldn't find him, so I bought Kawa-chan here. I found Saki-chan the next time I visited home but decided to keep him at home instead of bringing him up to Tōtsuki. And when I saw how much you liked Kawa-chan, I figured you'd enjoy having your own."

Erina looked down at the duck she held, turning it over in her hands. Suddenly she understood why it seemed a bit more faded compared to Megumi's. She hadn't thought anything of it, before, but the faded yellow suddenly had a significance that it didn't ten seconds before.

Megumi let out a small noise of surprise as she found a pair of arms encircling her.

"E-Erina-chan!"

Erina didn't say anything. She just continued hugging the smaller girl to her.

"…thank you."

The blonde's words were quiet but Megumi heard them all the same. She felt the darkness, that had been waning for a time now, shrink even further and she let herself relax into the embrace. At least, before she noticed two very soft, very large… _things_ pressing into her side.

Megumi felt herself start to blush and heat up. And it wasn't because of the bath. Thankfully, Erina released her and went back to playing with Saki, watching the small fowl brave the waves she created in a futile attempt to capsize it.

It wasn't long before Megumi sent Kawa into the fray and the two ducks started "fighting" it out, their battle accented by the laughter of their owners as each girl attempted to overturn the other's rubber duckling. A futile struggle, in the end, but an enjoyable one nonetheless.

After they'd had enough, both girls left the bathroom and temporarily parted ways before meeting back up downstairs in the kitchens. Today was the last day of final exams and, luckily, neither of them had any. Which meant they had all day to prepare for their fateful confrontation tomorrow. It was time that neither of them planned to waste.

At first, it was simply the two of them in the kitchen, cooking different items and discussing strategies that they'd planned in advance. But soon, they were joined by Shun, who provided his own input into what they could do in the coming match. Then, barely an hour later, Yuki joined them as well, eager to contribute and assist.

She was followed by Ryoko, who was followed by Daigo and Shoji. They all had ideas and skills they were willing to contribute to their champions' dish making process. Even if they couldn't be there in the arena with them; they were determined to do all they could before it. There was even an appearance by Isshiki Satoshi, whose apron clad form was filled with praise and encouragement for their efforts.

The kitchen was full of laughter, joy and innovation that day and Erina couldn't help thinking that Sōma didn't stand a chance. After all, it seemed like it wasn't just going to be the two of them against his cooking. It would be all of Polar Star. And Sōma was good, there was no question, but she doubted he could stand alone against their combined might. That was something she'd learnt during her tenure at Polar Star; the impact others could have on your own abilities was infinitely greater than anything you could achieve on your own.

* * *

Rindō shivered; clutching her arms. That was odd, it was pretty warm outside right now. Was someone talking about her perhaps?

She shrugged, shelving the thought for later. She had more important things to worry about, as it were. Striding forwards, she knocked solidly on the door before her.

"Enter." said a measured voice.

Rindō opened the heavy oak door, waving cheerfully.

"Good morning, Azami-sama."

"Kobayashi-kun, greetings." responded the director of Tōtsuki Culinary Academy. He was sat behind his desk, going over several files. From her angle, Rindō couldn't be sure exactly what they were but the general layout made her think he was looking over another council member's nomination. She briefly wondered whose. Momo's perhaps? Saito's?

"Is there something I can assist you with?"

Azami arched an eyebrow at the senior, who had entered his office but said nothing else beyond her initial greeting. Rindō smiled and nodded, taking a folded piece of paper out of her jacket pocket and handing it over to Azami. He would've normally been annoyed at such sloppy presentation but he'd long grown use to the quirky habits of the second seat of the Elite Ten Council.

Unfolding the paper, Azami's eyes glanced over it before settling on the name at the top. His eyes narrowed by the slightest amount.

"Are you certain of your choice, Kobayashi-kun?"

Azami's voice was the picture of disinterest but Rindō didn't miss the way his unoccupied hand's fingers were drumming softly against the desk. A telling sign for someone as controlled as he was.

"I've thought about it long and hard, Azami-sama. I'm sure."

"I see."

Azami filed the slightly creased paper among a stack of neatly arranged paper he had in a manila folder.

"You know, Kobayashi-kun. While I understand that you can be rather...free spirited in your decisions, I believe it would be prudent of me to at least suggest to you other, more appropriate options for your nomination."

Rindō's eyes lowered, her cheerful expression dropping into a neutral, lazy one that wouldn't have been out of place on any cat.

"Oh, really? Do tell."

Azami shrugged, as if the matter wasn't an important one to him either way.

"Well, how about Hayama Akira? He won this year's Autumn Elections."

"And lost to Sōma-kun just the other day."

"True. But were it not for Sōma's underhanded approach to the situation, the result would've been entirely different, I imagine."

Neither of them commented on how odd it was to hear Azami dismiss the abilities of his premier enforcer. Or how ironic it was that he would call Sōma's methods "underhanded".

Rindō tapped her chin thoughtfully, tilting her head at the man she'd pledged loyalty to. When he'd first approached her, she'd been intrigued by his vision and his passion, for all its misdirection. He'd seemed like he could carry through his plans and he had, once upon a time. Beautifully, even. But months at the top had left him...content in his role. In his power. She was slowly losing interest, she could feel it.

"Well, be that as it may, I still find his talents worthwhile. He even beat Kuga-chii, who was no slouch in the kitchen, as I'm sure you're aware. Despite your dismissal of him from the Elite Ten."

The jab was subtle but it was there. They both knew that Azami hadn't dismissed Kuga due to a dearth of skill. The Elite Ten Council was always supposed to be about who the ten best students in the school were, regardless of anything else. Senzaemon had never intended for it to be the political chess piece that Azami had used it for. But then, the old man had always been a bit too idealistic for her taste.

She hadn't been able to believe it, at first. When she'd first learnt about the power the Elite Ten Council held. Between her and Tsukasa, they could pretty much singlehandedly rewrite every single law of the school. With his support, she could demand that every single student wear pink bunny ears at all times lest they be expelled and the student body would have no choice but to do it.

She supposed it was good that Tsukasa was more reticent and level headed than she was; the more chaotic of her decisions would've probably led to some sort of student rebellion by now. Just as Azami's was going to.

"Far be it from me to tell you who you can and can't nominate, Kobayashi-kun."

Despite the words used, it was clear that Azami would like nothing more than to do that very thing. But even he had only so much control over the Elite Ten Council. It surprised her that he hadn't made more of a move to curb their power, actually. Even though they were all firmly on his side; Azami struck her as the type of man who would want to be on top by himself.

Was that more complacency on his part?

"Did you need anything else, Kobayashi-kun?"

Rindō shrugged again, turning promptly on her heel.

"Nah, that's it. I'll see ya around."

She left the office with a flippant wave and a slam of the door. She cheekily wondered just what look Azami must have had on his face as she left. What she'd done wasn't _quite_ disrespect but it was definitely flirting with the line. Oh well, she had more important things to worry about than her headmaster's disapproval.

Like going to see her little pet project. She idly wondered if she should call ahead but figured that, with the match tomorrow, there was really only one place he could be. And that was the kitchen, which worked out for her. As she knew exactly which kitchens he'd be utilizing, assuming the snowflake hadn't seen fit to kick him out by now.

So it was that, after a few minutes of walking and utilizing the confused assistance of a maid, Rindō found herself standing just outside the Nakiri mansion kitchens. She'd stalked up silently and, luckily, Sōma's back was to her, his eyes on the boiling pot but his mind clearly elsewhere.

"Sōma-kunnnnn."

His reaction was immediate, if muted. He turned to face her, his hand lowering the heat on the pot almost instinctively.

"Rindō-senpai."

His voice was still cold and distant, as opposed to the more personal tone he'd adopted with her before she'd done what she did.

"What do you want?"

Rindō sauntered up behind Sōma, grinning. She went to place her arm around his shoulder but he shrugged her off, stepping away.

"Oh, Sōma-kun. Why so mean?"

Sōma turned to face her and, if his voice was cold, then the look he gave her was positively arctic.

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response."

Rindō sighed, even as she wondered if, just maybe, she'd overstepped herself a tad. In her experience, boys pretty much thought with what they had below the belt anyway. Sōma shouldn't be overreacting like this; not with her.

"Come on, Sōma-kun. Don't you think you're being a bit of a baby?"

The gibe did nothing to move Sōma and he simply continued staring at her, his arms folded.

"I ask again, what do you want Rindō-senpai?"

"Well, I wanted to tell you that I submitted my nomination for you to Azami-sama. And I also wanted to see what you had planned for tomorrow's little duel. It should be interesting, huh? You going up against even more of your old comrades."

"I see. Thank you for your nomination."

Sōma didn't say anything else and he simply continued staring at Rindō, who was staring back at him with a pout.

"Don't be like this."

"Like what?"

For the first time, Sōma's tone wasn't completely detached. But Rindō didn't know if she liked the anger she could hear lurking in it any better.

"You want me to simply be happy with you, Rindō-senpai? To simply forget what you did to hurt me? To hurt _Alice_?"

Rindō rolled her eyes, seating herself at the kitchen island with a long suffering sigh. She idly glanced down at her nails; the very picture of disinterest.

"Now you're just being dramatic, Sōma-kun. You sound like one of those sappy comics Erina-chan loves to read so much. Whining about how much you liked your girlfriend even though you kissed me. If you recall, Sōma-kun, I didn't _make_ you do anything."

"No. You simply coerced me. Because that makes it better."

It was impressive how much sarcasm Sōma could impart into his voice when he tried. Rindō's eyes narrowed, as she felt Sōma's attitude begin to grate on her nerves.

"You don't get to sit here and play the victim, Sōma-kun. Everything you've done has been by your choice and your choice alone. No one made you commit yourself to saving that girl."

"You're right. No one did. But you've certainly gotten your fair share of amusement from my efforts, haven't you? You think I don't know how funny you find all of this? How this is all nothing more than a game to you?"

"A fun one, might I add." interjected Rindō with a sharp toothed smile.

"See, it's that. That's what I'm talking about. You don't understand, Rindō-senpai. You never could."

Rindō's smile evaporated and she frowned, her expression stormy.

"Then enlighten me, Sōma-kun. Please. What exactly don't I understand?"

Her tone made it clear that she didn't expect Sōma to say anything she didn't already know. Sōma tilted his head at her and his eyes softened. Not by much, but just by the barest amount. And Rindō saw something there that infuriated her. That really sent her over the edge. Pity.

Sōma was pitying her. HE was pitying HER? How dare he?!

"You don't care about other people, Rindō-senpai. You never have."

"Because most people don't matter, Sōma-kun. Don't presume things about me just because I'm a lot more selective about who deserves my attention."

"It's not just about that." said Sōma, his voice firm. "Even the people you supposedly care for are forever second to you and your own selfish desires. Me, Nene-senpai, even Tsukasa-senpai. None of us really matter to you."

"That's not true." bit out Rindō, her eyes flashing as she leaned forwards. Sōma quirked an eyebrow at her, unfazed by her heated response.

"Actions speak louder than words, senpai."

"Then all of the help I've given you should be worth something. I'm a big part of the reason you are where you are today. All those weeks of training and making sure you weren't a wreck after what Azami put you through were my doing. MINE."

Sōma's face hardened and he sighed. He held up his chained wrist towards Rindō, almost mockingly.

"Are we both going to pretend that this wasn't as much your doing as his?"

"What would you have had me do, Sōma-kun?"

"I wasn't exactly in a state to choose; but splitting me in two would've been on the lower end of my choices, I assure you."

Rindō shrugged, as if the fate of Sōma's psyche was a minor issue; like the weather or what she'd pick out to wear the next day.

"I've told you before, I work with what I have. And of all the things within you that I had to work with, mental stability wasn't really one of them."

The insult caused just the barest crack in Sōma's facade and Rindō saw him slip; his eyes widening and his teeth bared as some of his emotions slipped past his chains. There was the usual anger and rage but, more than that, Rindō saw pain. It was only for a second, as Sōma wrestled himself back into control quickly, but she saw it.

"I helped you, Sōma-kun. I made you into something greater than what you were."

Sōma didn't respond immediately and, when he did, his words were simply and taciturn.

"What really scares me is that I think you really believe that."

Rindō was smart. She knew she was. The term 'ridiculously intelligent' would not have been hyperbole in her case. She'd taken tests that had put her in the upper half percentile of the Japanese population. That meant, as far as raw smarts went, she was smarter than at least ninety nine percent of the common man. So the few times she realized that she was wrong always came as a shock to her.

This was one of those times.

She wasn't really sure what it was about what Sōma had said that struck a chord with her. It wouldn't be the first time someone had tried to convince her that the way she viewed things was incorrect or warped or simply _wrong_. But this time...something about his statement was simply so heartfelt that Rindō couldn't help but listen. And realize that maybe; just maybe, she shouldn't have done what she did.

Regardless, it was too late to go back now. And Rindō didn't apologize. That was simply something she didn't do. She could make up for things though. That would be acceptable.

"Here."

She took a folder from her jacket, shoving it towards Sōma. He eyed her sceptically before picking it up and glancing through it. Almost immediately he shut it and slid it back towards her.

"I'm not sleeping with you Rindō-senpai. I thought I already told you that."

Rindō rolled her eyes, huffing.

"I'm well aware that you're currently attached to snowflake-chan, Sōma-kun."

"I'm not, actually."

Rindō blinked up at him.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Thanks in no small part to your efforts; we have gone our separate ways. We are no longer seeing each other."

Sōma's tone was almost grave, for all its emptiness. Rindō felt like such a revelation should've brought a smile to her face but all it did was make her feel something. She would've recognized it as regret or remorse, if she was anyone else. As it were, it simply left her frustrated and annoyed.

"If you're not with the Nakiri girl anymore, then what's stopping you from taking up my offer?" she asked, trying to maintain her casual aloofness.

"Really?"

Sōma's voice was incredulous.

"Can you really not see why I wouldn't want to have sex with you anymore, Rindō-senpai?"

Rindō shrugged, eyeing her nails and wondering how often she'd done that in this particular conversation. It wouldn't do to seem fidgety.

"Not really. You seemed all too eager a few months ago. I'm just as hot and good at it as I was then, I assure you."

The second half of her statement was practically purred and Rindō expected to see at least a hint of a blush grace Sōma's features. As it were, he simply sighed and turned the stove off entirely before sitting to face her. He met Rindō's playful eyes with a tired gaze before reaching up and undoing his chain. The metal links fell to the counter with a _clink_ and Sōma shuddered as he felt his emotions reassert themselves before looking back at Rindō. What she saw there made Rindō lean back in surprise.

"Sex with someone requires trust, Rindō-senpai. And after all we'd been through, you had mine. I trusted you. I trusted you with my secrets and vulnerabilities. I trusted you when you said you'd help me, against myself and against Azami. I trusted you with so much more than I'd trusted anyone else with since my mother died."

Sōma took her hand and squeezed it firmly, trying to convey his message through his feelings as much as his words.

"And then you turned around and took advantage of that. I considered you a dear friend, Rindō-senpai. I even loved you, in as much as you'd let me. So I could get past you using that for your own ends; I could even get past you using my faith against me, after a time. But you used that to hurt the woman I loved. The woman I still love."

Sōma released her hand and Rindō could tell that he'd let go of more than just that with that gesture.

"And there's a part of me; the part of me that knows you and still cares about you, that tells me to forgive you. Because this sort of thing is simply in your nature, it's who you are. But I don't think that's enough. Not anymore."

Rindō...wasn't sure how she felt. She wanted to simply shrug off what Sōma had said; what did she care what he thought of her? But she found it simply wasn't that easy. It should be, really, but it wasn't. And why wasn't it.

"I have to go."

Rindō stood up and left abruptly, fleeing from more than just the sympathetic look in Sōma's eyes. She strode through the halls of the mansion, stubbornly doing her best to think of nothing. She shouldn't care this much about what some troubled freshman thought about her. She shouldn't care this much about what anyone thought about her, really. And she didn't.

She really, really didn't.

She rounded a corner and only barely avoided running into someone. She turned to give the person an insincere apology, only to find that the person in question was a surprised Nakiri Alice. Her surprise quickly turned into outrage, however and she stepped towards Rindō, jabbing a finger at her.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?"

Rindō smiled easily at the girl. This was more her speed. Confrontation she could handle.

"Why, nothing really. I just stopped by to see Sōma-kun."

She expected her words to incite even more rage in the white haired girl. She did not expect the right hook that came along with that anger.

Alice's fist thumped solidly into Rindō's cheek, causing the maroon haired girl to stumble back as a white hot burst of pain erupted into the left side of her face.

"Ow!"

Rindō looked down at Alice, aghast, as she held her reddened cheek. The younger girl looked completely unrepentant.

"Just so we're clear. That's the least of what I should do to you. Now get out or I swear I will THROW you out, Kobayashi Rindō."

Rindō narrowed her eyes.

"Please. Make my day, Snowflake-chan."

* * *

Sōma looked up from where he was looking through a recipe book. He blinked in alarm, standing up.

"Alice?! What happened?"

Alice's clothes were rumpled and dirt stained. Her skirt was on the wrong way and half of the buttons on her shirt were torn off. Her skin was smudged and darkened in a few places, with what seemed like scratch marks. And the less said about her hair, the better.

Alice smiled and waved off Sōma's concern.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine. I just had something that needed attending to, that's all. More importantly, I had something I needed to ask you."

Sōma looked like he didn't quite believe her but he didn't comment. Instead he just nodded and gestured for her to continue.

"I want to be your sous-chef. For the shokugeki tomorrow."

Sōma wasn't sure what he'd expected her to ask. But it certainly hadn't been that.

"My sous-chef? Alice, are you...but why?"

"Because you need one. And we make a good team. And I'd like the excuse to finally get my chance to beat Erina. Take your pick."

Alice grinned mischievously down at Sōma and he found himself smiling in return.

"Are you sure? I know things between us are-"

"They are what they are." she said, cutting him off. "That doesn't matter. Right now, we have a cook off to prepare for. Let's get to it."

Alice strode past him, heading towards the freezer. She pulled out several plastic wrapped packages and turned towards him.

"So what kind of meat were you thinking of using?"

Sōma wanted to protest and have a real conversation with Alice. Things between them were...unresolved, to say the least. They hadn't gotten to really speak about things that morning, all things considered. But he also knew that tomorrow would be a day that decided a great many things for more than just him. And he had to be ready.

So he relented.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen, I welcome you all to the final match of Central's Survivor's Purge. This time, we're in for what should prove to be an amazing bout! And also a rather unusual one at that. The Polar Star Dormitory will fight for its right to continue existing, and it will be represented by not one but TWO representatives! May I introduce to you, Nakiri Erina and Tadokoro Megumi!"

Urara Kawashima swept her hand out, gesturing towards the back of the arena where the two Polar Star residents entered amidst uproarious applause. Despite her dismissal from the Elite Ten Council, none had forgotten about the wielder of the God's Tongue, the girl most still regarded as Tōtsuki's Princess. And Megumi, while not nearly as lauded, was formidable in her own right, being one of the Top 8 of the Autumn Election.

The two girls took their positions at their stations, their faces set in determined expressions as they looked towards the back of the arena.

"And of course, opposing them we have Central's premier enforcer, the man they call the Black Jewel and the wielder of the False God's Tongue, Yukihira Sōma!"

This time the cheers were noticeably quieter, although still there. Sōma had amassed more than a few fans during his campaign for Central. Sōma walked up towards the arena, taking his position at the station opposite Erina and Megumi.

"And assisting Sōma as his sous-chef in the match today will be another Autumn Elections Top 8 contender. The girl they call the Heaven Sent Child of Molecular Gastronomy and the leader of the Cutting Edge RS, Nakiri Alice!"

Alice entered from the back of the arena, smiling to herself as she strolled up to place herself alongside Sōma. She looked over at Erina, who was staring back at her with an unreadable look on her face.

"Alice."

"Erina."

The tension between the two family members was almost tangible and Megumi resisted the urge to shiver as she saw what looked like lightning bolts pass between the two Nakiris.

"I'm going to crush you."

"Ohoho, really now? I suppose we'll see."

Urara continued speaking, as if she didn't notice the byplay between the two sides of the battle. It was all too possible that she didn't, absorbed as she was in trying to keep the spotlight on herself.

"Standard Purge rules apply, but there's also other, mysterious conditions that both parties have agreed to. They've asked me to keep them confidential but trust me when I say the stakes are high! In addition, in honour of this being the last match of the Survivor's purge, we have special guest judges here to assist for the day!"

Urara gestured to the back of the arena where a figure entered. He was tall and muscular, his wide frame held tightly in a well tailored suit. His close cropped hair and sharp eyebrows contrasted with the small smile he wore on his face.

"First, we have a familiar face, someone you all know, Dojima Gin! Please thank him for taking the time out of his busy schedule to come down and give us his expert opinion!"

The cheers were Gin were just as loud, if not louder, than the cheers had been for Erina. The man smiled and waved as he walked forward and took his seat at the judges' table.

"Dojima Gin was a resident of the Polar Star Dormitory during his tenure at Tōtsuki, so it's fitting that he come back now to have a hand in determining its fate, don't you think?"

The enthusiastic response of the crowd was all the answer Urara needed. She brushed a blue bang out of her eyes, smiling widely as the cheering began to back down.

"And now, our next judge is also a Tōtsuki alumnus. He's the first Japanese man to have won the prestigious _Pluspol_ award in Paris and he's currently living in Tokyo as he establishes a new branch of his restaurant, Shino's. Please give a warm welcome to Shinomiya Kojiro."

Kojiro wore a plain white chef's uniform, his bicoloured hair clashing with the ensemble, as it usually did. He entered to less, but still prodigious, applause than Gin but, if this bothered him, he didn't show it. He walked up and took his seat at the judge's table, adjusting his glasses as he looked over at the contenders. He smiled briefly as he met Sōma's eyes, the challenge in them unspoken.

"Now, in a somewhat unorthodox turn of events, our final judge seems to be running behind. But they have assured us that they will be here quite soon and that we should start without them. Normally this wouldn't be permitted but I've received explicit approval from the Shokugeki Administration Bureau to allow this to go ahead. So, combatants, are you ready?!"

After receiving four nods, Urara threw her hand up in the air.

"Then without further ado, let's begin!"

* * *

 **A/N: Huh. I feel like we've been here before.**

 **Joking aside, I hate leaving you guys at the exact same cliff hanger I've used before but I wanted to make it explicit this time, that the next chapter would be the shokugeki. But I also just didn't have the time to get the shokugeki itself out. Trust me when I say writing cooking battles, especially on the scale I try to, is much easier said than done.**

 **In general, this chapter just...really fought me. It was difficult to get out, for a number of reasons. I pray that the quality wasn't affected as a result, but I shall leave it to you all to tell me if it has been.**

 **Also, just a general public announcement: Based on the feedback received from the interludes, I've decided that I probably won't use them as weekly update material. Maybe like a bonus, midweek update instead that has no affect on the update schedule of the main story. I've also opened a poll on my profile. Go and vote for who you'd like the next interlude chapter to focus on!**

 **That being said, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and please look forward to next week's, in which we'll see the shokugeki in full, including the announcement of the victor.**

 **Question of the Day: How does one go about getting a tvtropes page for one's fanfiction? Do I create it myself or do I simply wait or one of my adoring fans to? Or do I just opt to not have one at all? Decisions, decisions!**


	18. Chapter 17

To say the cheering was loud would've been doing it a disservice. The swell of cheering and applause that occurred as four of the most skilled students of the 92nd Generation began working was nothing short of massive.

Megumi moved first; pulling a bag from under their station and taking its contents out one at a time and laying them out. Among the things dispensed were an oddly shaped root that she cut into small pieces before grinding it up with a mortar and pestle. Erina reached under the table as well, surfacing with a large cooler that she opened, reaching inside and pulling out large, pink slabs of meat.

"As is expected, our contestants waste no time in getting started! Once again, there's no specific theme for this particular shokugeki. This will be a test of raw, unrestrained cooking might! It seems Erina is going to take up preparing the meat, at least initially. What kind of meat is that, I wonder? It looks like chicken but seems slightly different." asked Urara, squinting at what the Nakiri heiress held.

"It's duck meat." said Shinomiya, doing nothing to hide his look of contempt towards the commentator. "It's a more exotic fowl than, say, chicken but it's still a rather common sight in the kitchen, as you should well know."

"Of course, of course…" said Urara, although her smile looked a little brittle in the face of Shinomiya's rebuke. Eager to make up for her failure, she turned to Sōma's station and found that the meat he was holding was a lot more identifiable by its shape.

"It appears Sōma-kun is going to be utilizing crab meat in his dish! Crab is a very popular choice in a variety of cuisines. Its soft, delicate taste…"

Whatever Urara was about to say died in her throat as she realized that the crab Sōma held, while soft and white, was still very much alive. The red headed chef held it gently, almost fondly, by the back of its shell (or lack thereof), staring at it for a brief moment before placing it onto the cutting board.

As he picked up a set of kitchen shears, Urara realized what he was going to do and she resisted the urge to turn away and cringe, feeling more than seeing the look of scorn that Shinomiya would undoubtedly give her.

"The crab meat that Sōma-kun's going to be utilizing is known as soft shell. This particular type of crab is a popular choice in the kitchen as, having recently molted, most of the crab's body is edible and can be used in the dish."

Urara gulped as Soma adjusted his grip on the crab, bringing the shears closer to it, despite the scrabbling of its legs.

"And ah, well…crab meat, as with most shell fish, is very susceptible to decomposition. So it's best to acquire your crabs as soon as possible before cooking. And of course what's fresher than live…live…"

Sōma squeezed and the shears closed, slicing effortlessly through the crab's 'face'. Urara stopped speaking again and turned away, looking just the slightest shade of green. There was a reason she didn't like cooking with seafood! Even dead fish would just stare at you…accusation in their cold, cold eyes…

"Hey. Girl."

Urara looked up at Shinomiya who was eyeing her with an inscrutable look.

"What's your name?"

"Um…Kawashima Urara, Shinomiya-senpai."

"I see. Kawashima Urara. You are expelled."

Urara paled, looking at Shinomiya in disbelief and her mouth dropped open in shock. As she started to process just what Shinomiya had said, she immediately began stammering excuses, her arms waving frantically as she tried to justify her behavior to the unsympathetic chef.

"Shinomiya. Stop terrifying the poor little freshman."

Dojima Gin glanced over at his fellow alumnus who looked back, an angry vein pulsing in his head. Gin looked over at Urara, who still looked terrified, although she'd stopped speaking in lieu of looking at Gin with desperate hope.

"Kawashima-san. Please relax yourself. I assure you that neither I nor Shinomiya have that sort of power here. Not today, anyway."

Urara gave a big sigh of relief that echoed across the speakers, causing her to blush and look around at the crowd, who were much too busy watching the chefs below them than to worry about her need to appear perfect and unflappable. She turned back to said chefs to find that Sōma had already finished cleaning his crabs and had proceeded with seasoning them.

Meanwhile Alice was holding a small bowl, in which she was combining several different things; sugar, lemon juice and rice vinegar among them. Every so often, using a small spoon, she would sample the mixture before shaking her head and adding something else to it. After a few iterations, she was finally satisfied and set the bowl to the side before moving onto a collection of vegetables she'd laid out previously.

"Interesting…"

Gin glanced over at Shinomiya who was eyeing the small bowl with interest.

"She's using a gastrique. It's a flavoring for sauces, specifically for those meant for use with meat. It's essentially just caramelized sugar and vinegar but it's that very simplicity that allows it to be very flexible. Not only can you use it to enhance your dish's flavor; you can also customize the gastrique itself so that it can stand on its own as a unique part of your dish's appeal. It can have significant impact on the visual aesthetics of your dish as well."

Gin nodded, looking at the innocuous bowl. A simple tool, to be sure, but it is the simplest tools that can have the most devastating effects in the hands of the truly skilled.

"And we see Tadokoro-chan is now combining the root she grounded with fish sauce and an assortment of spices to create what looks like a marinade!"

Megumi was doing just that; she placed the ground root and fish sauce together, stirring them briskly while sprinkling in dashes of powder. After a cursory inspection, Megumi nodded to herself before pulling a small container from the chill box beside her. Opening the jar, she spooned a healthy dollop of the white creamy substance into the mixture before stirring the contents of the bowl again, the consistency of the marinade thickening.

Megumi turned to face Erina, her hand outstretched.

"Erina-chan!"

Like clockwork, Erina turned and tossed something at Megumi before turning back, unconcerned. The audience gasped as whatever it was flew towards Megumi, barely seen as more than a blur of pink. Megumi's eyes tracked upwards, her hand moving to easily snag the duck foreleg from the air before dropping it into her marinade bowl.

Working it over gently, Megumi kneaded the marinade mixture into the duck before nodding to herself.

"Erina-chan!"

Another throw. Another catch. Another round of kneading, followed by another nod and another cry of 'Erina-chan!' The girls repeated the pattern a few more times before stopping; Megumi's bowl now filled with duck legs, thoroughly coated in the marinade.

"Is that enough, Megumi-chan?"

Megumi smiled happily and voiced her assent. She looked down at the bowl before moving to place it into the fridge.

"Actually, hold on a moment Megumi-chan."

Erina walked over and took the bowl from Megumi's hands. She looked down into it, as if appraising the meat, before setting it down onto the counter. She stepped back and gave the bowl a short bow.

" _Arigato_ _gozaimasu_ Mizu-chan. Kiri-chan. You won't be forgotten."

Her words were barely a whisper but Megumi caught them and she smiled, mentally thanking Yuki as well. It was she who'd provided the ducks for them to use. Through the tears in her eyes, she had asked Erina and Megumi to do their best to ensure that the two birds' sacrifices weren't in vain.

Erina took the bowl up once again, covering it and placing it into the small fridge beneath their station.

"The Polar Star team will be chilling their meat! A prudent tactic, as the cold temperatures and time spent soaking will give the duck meat time to absorb the juices that Megumi-chan has already lathered onto it." commented Urara helpfully. Nothing was said about the oddity that was the Nakiri heiress bowing to a bowl of meat. She was the princess of Tōtsuki. She could do whatever she liked during a Shokugeki and no one would question her methods.

"Eh, that was pretty weird. Don't you think, Tsukasa?"

Almost no one, anyway.

Rindō leaned back in her seat, more reclining than sitting. She peered curiously over the top of the large sunglasses she wore before pulling them back into place. She glanced to her side when she noticed she was receiving no response and elbowed the first seat that sat beside her, who jumped at the sensation, pulling his attention from the papers in his lap.

"I'm sorry, what was that Rindō?"

Rindō rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to wince as the movement stressed the bruise she was nursing on her left eye. That Nakiri girl had a mean right hook for all that she seemed like a dainty, little slip of a girl.

"I said that was pretty weird. Erina-chan just bowed to a bowl of seasoned meat. That's pretty odd, huh?"

Tsukasa looked down at the arena before looking back at his friend.

"Not particularly. You should be thankful for the creatures that give their lives for your dish, Rindō-chan."

Rindō scoffed, scratching at the band aid on her cheek as she gave Tsukasa a flat stare.

"I forgot; you were all weird about that sort of thing."

"There's nothing wrong with appreciating those that fall in my pursuit to cooking excellence, Rindō."

"So you're equating the animals that die for your meat to the classmates we've expelled over the years?"

Tsukasa's overly serious nod would've made Rindō face palm rather hard if she wasn't aware that her face wasn't in the best shape for that, no matter her exasperation.

"…Just go back to signing your forms."

Down in the arena, Erina had started chopping vegetables. Onions, garlic cloves and lemongrass fell to her knife, her technique more art than anything else. With a flick of her wrist, the cutting board rotated ninety degrees and her blade came down, cutting the vegetables into even finer pieces. Another rotation and she did the same, the vegetables falling into even smaller bits before her knife work. Megumi was dicing potatoes; the spuds splitting into large chunks that Megumi then began seasoning.

Across the stage, Alice began combining several vegetables in a large bowl, her knife work on par with Erina's, although her strokes were more about broad divides as opposed to fine shredding. Slowly but surely, the makings of a salad began forming in her bowl. The large, green swaths of cabbage were accented by the bright multicolored tones of the peppers that had been cored, sliced and placed within.

Sōma had moved from the crabs, which were now cleaned and pruned into husks of soft, decadent meat ready to be used. He was whisking flour, eggs and cornstarch together into a large bowl; adding an ingredient here and there with every few turns of the whisk until he had a large serving of batter before him. Placing the bowl onto the counter, Sōma picked up a crab, lowering it into the mixture with the same delicacy that he'd been showing the animal throughout the entire match.

"Crab tempura…" murmured Satoshi softly from where he sat in the stands. He held a large sign with a large, stylized picture of Erina's face. It was surprisingly detailed and he'd reminded himself more than once to compliment Yuki on her artistic talent once the match was over.

"What was that, Isshiki-senpai?" asked Ryoko, who held her own sign, although this one was a banner with the words "Polar Star Forever" in large, bold kanji.

"Hm? Oh, nothing Sakaki-kun. It just seems like Sōma may be preparing a tempura dish. It's a bit traditional, not to mention simplistic. I would've expected something a bit more exotic, considering Alice-chan's involvement, that's all. Although I suppose it's still quite early; we have a long way to go."

Sōma was still continuing his work with the crabs. After dipping each of them in batter, he'd started dragging them through a pan of oil he'd prepped earlier, one at a time. He made liberal use of a brush and dropper to ensure the crustacean had an even coat before moving on to the next one until each crab sat, dripping in oil over a coating of floured dough.

The crowd talked excitedly amongst themselves as theories were swapped on just what the duo had in store for them. The False God's Tongue was undefeated, save one. And that very person was now assisting him as his sous chef! This, more than anything else, sparked heavy conversation and debate across the hall.

Was Alice actually working for Central all along? Did she cut a deal with Yukihira to allow her RS to be the last one standing? Did Sōma bribe her with a promise of a long awaited victory over her cousin? Were the two secretly lovers?

Hisako, who was in a position to hear that final theory, turned a deep, scarlet red and hoped that the people around her didn't notice. Sadly, this wasn't the case.

"Hisako-chan, are you alright?" asked Marui, noticing the girl's fevered complexion. Hisako waved off his concern, doing her best to cover her distress with a laugh.

"Haha! It's nothing to worry about, I'm fine, Marui-kun. Don't worry about it."

Accepting her answer for the time being but making a mental note to inquire further, Marui turned back to the stage where Megumi had begun adding the cut potatoes to a large saucepan, frying them into a beautiful, golden brown as she lightly spread salt and pepper over the potatoes. The starchy scent flowed throughout the arena, caressing each person it passed as a brief flash overtook them, a flash of that which they called home.

' _Megumi-chan's skills have definitely improved._ ' thought Marui as his mind was taken back, but only for a second, to warm walls, dulcet tones and a bespectacled woman reading to him.

Megumi continued frying the potatoes, turning them over and ensuring each and every single slice was properly cooked. Once satisfied, she placed them into a container, covering it with a sharp _snap_ of processed plastic before moving, brushing past her blonde partner who stood over a large pot that she was slowly pouring rice into. Megumi crouched down, opening the fridge and poking at the duck meat with a skewer. She prodded each leg individually before nodding to herself and shutting the door.

"It should be ready in a few minutes, Erina-chan!"

Erina didn't look up from her pot, where she had begun slowly stirring in a bag of Jasmine rice, her wrist twitching in half remembered strokes, an unorthodox pattern to say the least. A pattern perfected over weeks of working under Yukihira Joichiro. She hummed in approval, even as she kept a mental count of how many times her spoon rotated around the pot.

"That marinade works fast. I'm impressed."

"It's the yogurt." said Megumi as she checked her potatoes again, wafting the scent towards her nose to better appraise the seasoned smell. "The enzymes inside of it help to break down the meat even further than the basic marinade would've done on its own."

"An ingenious move."

Megumi started, the golden brown potato wedges flying into the air. She scrambled frantically, the container shifting in all directions as she tried to catch each piece of potato. She succeeded, if only barely. Capping the container with a sigh of relief, she turned to face the reason behind her distress to find Shinomiya standing in front of their station, his familiar, stern expression in place.

"S-Shinomiya-senpai!"

"Hello again, Tadokoro-chan. I've heard some impressive things about you this past year. I see my decision to allow you to stay was a wise one."

Megumi blushed in embarrassment, looking away from Shinomiya, clutching the container of potatoes to herself, like a security blanket. Even though it had been several months since the training camp, she was still more than a little intimidated by the chef that had once threatened to expel her.

"Come now, I'm sure you've got more backbone than that. Look up when I'm talking to you."

Megumi gulped before taking a deep breath and looking up. Her eyes met Shinomiya's and whatever he saw there made him smile.

"There we go. I knew you had to have SOME fight in you after all your time in this snake pit of a school. You've come a long way, Tadokoro Megumi. I expect nothing less from the girl that fought me to a draw."

"B-but Shinomiya-senpai!" exclaimed Megumi nervously. "I didn't really. I…I lost and it was only because of-"

"Irrelevant." he said, cutting her off. "Dojima's interference aside, as far as I'm concerned, it was a draw. So I'm expecting great things from you, Tadokoro-chan."

Shinomiya turned to head back towards the judges' table but not before delivering one parting remark.

"I started my second year as the seventh seat of the Elite Ten Council. I look forward to seeing what seat you hold, come next month. Don't disappoint me."

Megumi's face blanched and the dish of potatoes would've fallen straight out of her hands if she didn't already have it clutched so tightly to her chest.

Sōma had begun frying the batter coated crabs; the soft white exteriors slowly lightening into a golden yellow. Alice had begun rinsing pasta she'd boiled, threading the needle thin noodles through her fingers under the cold water, humming as she placed them into a colander to drain away any excess water before transferring them to a pot to sit. Moving to a cutting board, she began cutting vegetables, a much smaller collection this time. Chopped tomatoes, carrots and onions were added to the pot as Alice used a slotted spoon to spread them evenly throughout the pasta.

Erina removed the ducks from the fridge; elbowing Megumi out of her stunned state as she walked past her. She began frying the duck legs, the fowl browning quickly under the administrations of the heated oil. As she continued her work, she noticed that the crowd, which had been excitedly chatting and intermittently cheering throughout the entire match suddenly went quiet. Before breaking out into muted whispers.

Erina didn't allow the oddity to distract her; she continued browning the duck meat and transferring it into a plate as it became just the right, darkened shade. Once she'd put all of the meat onto a plate, she turned to Megumi who was staring over her shoulder, mouth agape.

"Ah…our third judge has finally arrived."

Urara's voice sounded shaken and hesitant. Erina turned towards the judges' table, wondering why her heart was pounding. Her eyes widened.

"It's my pleasure to welcome back to Tōtsuki, for the first time since his…um…retirement, the former Director of Tōtsuki, the man renowned as the Demon King of Food and the founder of our glorious institution, Nakiri Senzaemon!"

Urara's proclamation would've normally been met with cheers and applause but, as it were, everyone in the audience was still quiet, apart from a few, shocked murmurs. No one had seen the Nakiri patriarch since his less than graceful dismissal from Tōtsuki in the previous term. Despite the official statement, everyone knew that Senzaemon's "retirement" had been anything but voluntary.

Senzaemon hadn't changed in the time he'd been gone. His red eyes were just as intense as they'd ever been and his voluminous hair and beard were the same, striking silver-grey that they'd always been. His olive green yukata clung to his muscular form, the haori draped over his shoulders doing little to hide his impressive physique.

As the crowd continued to murmur amongst itself, one figure stood up from his seat in his viewer's box, walking forward to stand at the edge of the railing. His movements didn't go unnoticed; although they provoked silence as opposed to action.

Azami looked down at the judges table, where Senzaemon sat casually, unruffled. As if it were simply just another day in which he would act as a judge for a shokugeki. Azami glanced around at the arena, his sharp, empty gaze quieting the last few whispers in the audience. The tension was thick as no one was quite sure of just what was about to happen.

Azami opened his mouth.

"Welcome back, honored Father. It's a pleasure to see you again after so long. I'm sure the students would agree."

Another pause. Another bout of uncomfortable silence. Azami didn't seem perturbed; he simply took a sip from the wine glass in his hands and continued speaking.

"I thank you for accepting my invitation; I look forward to hearing your critique on this particular match. I'm sure it will be nothing short of fascinating."

Senzaemon didn't deign to provide Azami with a response. He sat in his chair, face relaxed and eyes fixed forward onto the arena, where the chefs had continued their work, despite the stir his presence had caused. He watched Alice closely as she began pulling the pasta from the pot before glancing over at Erina, who'd gotten over her surprise and gone back to the counter; where she was mixing the finely cut vegetables she'd prepared with excess marinade in the sauce pan.

Suddenly the silence in the arena was broken by a single clap. As it was the only noise outside of the quiet sizzling of the pans, it was rather easy to pinpoint exactly where it had come from. All eyes turned to face the culprit, Senzaemon's sharp gaze included.

Rindō didn't bother to stand, although she was sitting up in her chair now as opposed to leaning backwards. Her eyebrows were raised over the rims of her wide sunglasses and the smile on her face was positively dripping with mischievous mirth. She brought her hands together again, another clap ringing out.

Rindō continued clapping, her pace increasing ever so slightly until it was clear that she was applauding, albeit rather slowly and quietly.

In another part of the stadium, another set of clapping began. And then another. Followed by another. The growth was exponential as people became emboldened by the actions of their peers; adding their own applause to the group until the noise in the arena started to build and build as hundreds of hands began coming together.

"WELCOME BACK SENZAEMON-SAMA!"

The anonymous cry was the straw that broke the camel's back and suddenly the arena burst into applause and cheering that made their previous efforts appear weak and paltry. It seemed as if every single student was clapping and cheering for their fallen leader; even months after his dismissal, Tōtsuki had not forgotten its true king.

"HAIL THE DEMON KING OF FOOD!"

"We miss you Nakiri-sama!"

"Nakiri Senzaemon Forever!"

Senzaemon closed his eyes, sighing as he felt the emotions of the crowd wash over him. His face didn't move, just as relaxed and calm as it had ever been, although the warmth in his chest was all too real.

"I didn't want to make such a spectacle of this." he muttered to himself, his words lost to the noise of the crowd around him. Even Gin and Shinomiya were clapping; although their reactions were much more restrained than those of the collective students.

The outpouring continued for several minutes, even as the chefs continued to work among the backdrop of loud noise. They were much too skilled to let something as banal as noise distract them from their work. Erina placed the duck and potato together in the sauce pan, among the ingredients she'd already been combining within the pan, a strong scent of paprika now suffusing the kitchen. Erina poured a carefully measured cup of milky water onto the entire arrangement, steam wafting up in response. She continued stirring, setting the heat on the burner to low as she did.

After a few more revolutions of her spoon, Erina stopped abruptly in the middle of stirring before removing the large, serving spoon. She tasted the mixture with a small spoon and allowed Megumi to do the same. At the nod of approval, Erina covered the pot whilst simultaneously pressing a button on the oven timer. Bright green numbers came onto the screen before they started counting down in reverse; one second at a time.

Alice had completed her pasta arrangement, placing the bowl of noodles into the fridge to chill alongside the salad she had prepared earlier. She glanced over at Sōma, who was placing the fried crabs together on a large plate as he took a knife to them, separating the tempura into more manageable pieces. Once he'd finished; he handed the plate over to Alice who grinned down at the collection of shell meat.

Both teams had reached the ending stages of their dishes. Now, they simply needed to wait as the final steps of the cooking process completed themselves. For Erina and Megumi's dish; this meant waiting as their dish simmered in the pot, allowing the juices and flavors to properly mix and seep into each part of the food.

For Alice and Sōma's dish; they should have had no true need to wait. But the departures from classical tempura that they'd taken necessitated more waiting than usual. Alice had been particularly gleeful as she placed the crab tempura into a large, steel box that resembled a microwave, pressing a few buttons before closing the lid and latching it into place.

Now, both teams simply had to wait. And while, under normal circumstances, they would've spent their time trading playful snipes, both Nakiri girls mutually agreed that there was a much better use of their time right in front of them. After all, since his banishment, neither of them had even seen their grandfather.

"Ojii-chan!"

Alice flung herself into Senzaemon's side, her slender arms only barely fitting around his large frame. Senzaemon chuckled, his left arm settling around his granddaughter's shoulders.

"Alice-chan, hello. It's been a while, hasn't it? You're looking as beautiful as ever."

"Well, of course ojii-chan. Did you expect anything else?" she asked, her arrogant smile provoking a laugh from the older man. He rested his cheek on her forehead, the arm around her shoulders tightening as he pulled her into a tight, one armed hug before releasing her. Senzaemon looked over at Erina, who stood in front of the table, shuffling more than a little awkwardly.

"Greetings ojii-chan. I presume you are well?"

Senzaemon smiled kindly at his eldest granddaughter, beckoning her forward. She stepped forward cautiously, only to frown as he used his right arm to pull her into her own embrace. Erina's embarrassed frustration was quite the contrast to Alice's childish glee. Senzaemon smiled down at his flustered granddaughter.

"Indeed, Erina-chan. I'm fine. And how are you? I hope the accommodations with Fumio-chii aren't causing you any undue stress?"

Erina fought her way free of her grandfather's muscled arm; more because he let her than anything else, fixing the hair that he'd inevitably mussed with his ministrations. She briefly noted how odd it was that someone would call the Dorm Mother of Polar Star by such a childish epithet but then she realized that almost anyone would seem young compared to her grandfather.

"No, they're fine. Everything's more than adequate. There was a bit of an adjustment period at first, I'll admit, but I find that I've grown quite used to sharing bathrooms and doing chores."

"You should see her, ojii-chan. Erina's sooooo cute in her little, dirt stained overalls and sun hat. She looks like a genuine farmhand."

"Alice!" bit out Erina, her cheeks bright red at the other girl's lack of propriety. Senzaemon simply laughed at the mental image of his prim, cultured progeny kneeling in the dirt to shovel soil.

"Senzaemon-sama."

Senzaemon found his laughter cut off abruptly as he found himself confronted by the stoic visage of Yukihira Sōma. Sōma's hands were tucked into his pockets but the wrist that peeked out of the left pocket clinked softly as he walked forwards. A detail that Senzaemon didn't miss. He'd heard more than enough about just what Sōma had been up to in the months he'd been gone.

"Yukihira-kun, it's certainly been a while. How are you doing?"

Sōma shrugged casually, glancing over at Erina, who was doing her best to pretend she wasn't paying close attention to their exchange.

"As well as can be expected, circumstances considered. And yourself? How's your retirement been treating you?"

"I must admit that having a break feels just as nice as it did months ago. I haven't grown tired of it yet. That's not to say that I don't miss the fresh faced, spirited youth of Tōtsuki however. It seems the time spent under Nakamura's care hasn't done anything to marginalize that, something I'm quite thankful for."

Senzaemon looked out at the students of Tōtsuki, who were all still filled with a life and zest that, if he was being honest, surprised him. He'd heard it secondhand, of course, but seeing it in person really brought it home to the former director. Four months was more than enough time for Azami to assert his unsavory influence on them but, if what he was seeing was anything to go by, that hadn't happened. Of course, that simply raised the question. Just what was Azami doing?

"Yes, the student body has adapted well to the changes under Central's administration. While the dissolution of the independent factions of Tōtsuki were initially met with some resistance, Azami-sama's concessions and patience have led to many accepting the vision he is trying to lead us towards."

Senzaemon nodded, his expression pleasant even though his eyes were sharply locked onto Sōma's.

"Yes, I've heard one or two things about just how Central is conducting things these days. Especially you, Yukihira-kun. I never imagined you would be so…patriotic."

Sōma didn't smile but there was a certain sardonic amusement in his gaze.

"Well, as I'm sure you can imagine, I have my own reasons for doing things this way."

"But is this way the right way?" asked Senzaemon gravely, his pleasant veneer swapped for one of sternness.

"At times, I'm sure it may be. Just as, at other times, it may not be. The actions I take aren't the right way or the wrong way to handle things, Senzaemon-sama. They are simply **my** way."

"I urge you to be cautious, Yukihira Sōma. Some things simply aren't worth what you have to give up to obtain them."

For less than a second, Sōma's left eyebrow twitched. The motion was small and innocuous, missed by all in the immediate vicinity except one.

"There's also something to be said for leaving things unfinished. That's not something I'm exactly in the habit of doing, Senzaemon-sama."

Senzaemon sighed, resting his chin onto his fist as he looked at the red head. The look he gave him was one of worn wariness and regret. The look of a man who'd made mistakes; mistakes he could no longer fix on his own, for all that he'd caused them. For a small moment in time, Senzaemon actually looked his age.

"Good luck, Yukihira-kun."

And they both knew that he was talking about much more than this particular shokugeki. Sōma didn't acknowledge the statement, instead turning back to go to his station to check the progress of his food. Both Nakiri girls watched him walk away before turning back to their grandfather. His expression, where it had been calm and pleased before Sōma's arrival, was now one of pensive thought.

"Ojii-chan?" said Erina, the question clear in her tone. Senzaemon sighed, shaking his head softly.

"It's nothing for you to concern yourself with right now, Erina-chan. Besides, I'm sure Yukihira-kun would be able to provide you with a much better answer than I ever could. Provided you win, of course."

"So you're basically saying she has no shot of ever finding out then?" said Alice teasingly, fixing Erina with a competitive glare. "Since Sōma-kun and I are going to win with ease, after all."

Erina glared back with confrontation in her eyes.

"Your arrogance is as familiar as it is unwarranted, _cousin_."

Alice smirked in response, laughing softly, almost mockingly.

"Arrogance. Facts. They are one and the same, as far as this match is concerned."

"I suppose we'll just have to see." shot back Erina, flicking her hair and turning to walk back towards her station and partner. Alice went to walk off but she found her grandfather's hand on her shoulder.

"One more thing before you go, Alice-chan."

Alice turned back to face Senzaemon, who was now eyeing her with an inscrutable look.

"What's this nonsense I hear about you and Yukihira-kun being romantically involved? And living together?"

Alice blinked. And then blinked again. And then proceeded to turn a red that put her eyes to shame.

"W-w-who told you about that, ojii-chan?"

"Your father." he said, frowning at her.

"T-T-TOU-SAN! He knows?!" shouted Alice, the red rising to encompass all of her face as she held her cheeks in her hands.

"Yes. I have to tell you; he was not thrilled. He also tells me your mother was quite hurt at you not 'keeping her in the loop' or something of that nature. She didn't come out of her room for two days once she heard the news."

"Well, no! Y-y-you see, it's…I-I-It's just that I…and Sōma-kun, h-h-he…"

Senzaemon raised a hand, stopping Alice's nonsensical tirade.

"It is not I you have to explain yourself to, Alice-chan. I'm far too old to tie myself up in knots about my grandchildren's love life."

Alice's blush started to recede. It was simply now covering just most of her face, instead of all of it and her ears. She started to speak, no longer stuttering but, in exchange, she was speaking in a much higher and faster pitch than usual.

"Well…be that as it may, I find it prudent to inform you that Sōma-kun and I broke up as of yesterday night. So, as you can see, there's really nothing to worry about!"

With that, Alice took her leave, all but sprinting back to her station where she began whispering heatedly to Sōma, who looked a bit taken aback by his partner's sudden verbal onslaught. Senzaemon looked down at the way Alice held Sōma's arm, and the way she leaned onto him as she spoke into his ear and he narrowed his eyes at the oddly intimate display. Breakups didn't usually leave the couple in question so…friendly.

"See something interesting, Senzaemon-sama?" asked Gin, who'd been silently observing Shinomiya's heated berating of their plucky commentator with abject amusement. The pink haired alumnus had taken it upon himself to lecture the spritely girl about the finer points of both duck and crab meat, in between jabs at her lack of talent and her weak stomach. Senzaemon shook his head.

"Nothing, Gin-kun. Nothing at all. Just the winding thoughts of an old man, that's all. You'll know what I mean soon enough."

"I'm thirty nine, Senzaemon-sama…"

"Hmm, really now? My, you don't look a day over forty."

"….you can't possibly still be holding a grudge over that bodybuilding competition. It was twenty years ago."

"Twenty three years ago, actually. It seems your memory is slipping in your old age, Gin-kun."

Before Gin could respond, a shrill beeping went off. He looked back to the stations to see Alice pulling the crab meat from the silver box, wisps of cool mist following its exodus. Sōma had already pulled the bowls of pasta and salad from the fridge, settling them onto the counter, ready for plating. As they began working, a ringing came from Erina and Megumi's station, prompting the blue haired girl to turn off the stove and take the pot over to where Erina had already laid out several plates on the opposing counter.

"I'm eager to see where Yukihira's cooking has progressed since his time in my kitchen. Especially considering just who he's up against." said Shinomiya, smirking down at the combatants from his seat at the judges' table.

"I'm sure that both dishes will be quite a sight to see, Shinomiya. I hope we don't have too much of an issue with the ensuing judging." said Gin, sniffing at the air, the familiar scent of cooking at its best making him grin fondly. Even after all these years, two chefs pitting their best against each other still managed to thrill him. He hoped the feeling never faded.

"Alright! Both teams are ready for judging. So I'll leave it up to our esteemed judges to decide who goes first!"

"I propose we try Yukihira's dish first." said Shinomiya, glancing over at the pair's cart in interest.

"I disagree. I think it would be best to start with the team from Polar Star." said Gin. Shinomiya scoffed, looking over at where Gin sat.

"Even now, you interfere Dojima-san? Simply to be contrary?"

Gin shook his head.

"I'm not so petty, Shinomiya. I'm simply more interested in seeing how far the girl you almost threw out of Tōtsuki has come. Is that so wrong?"

"No, but we can do that just as well afterwards! You simply get a kick out of doing your best to overrule me at every turn. I'm through letting you do that. Nakiri-san, come! Present your dish."

Alice stepped forward confidently, two plates balanced perfectly on one arm as she moved towards the judges' table.

"Alice-san. Stay where you are, we'll be sampling your cousin's dish first. Erina-san, come forward." said Gin confidently, gesturing to Erina, who pointed at herself, as if asking if Gin meant her, before shrugging and picking up two covered plates of her own, walking forward to stand in front of the judges' table.

"Dojima-san, just once would you stop being so pig headed? I spoke first. I said we'd judge Yukihira's dish first. That's what we're doing!"

"I'm afraid you're ten years too early to even think of giving me any orders, Shinomiya." uttered Gin, giving Shinomiya a dismissive glance that made the Magician of Legumes grind his teeth angrily.

"You arrogant, skin headed son of a b-"

"That's enough." ground out Senzaemon, cutting off the heated argument. The two alumni silenced themselves immediately in deference to the Demon King of Food, who sighed and shook his head as if he was dealing with two petulant children as opposed to two of the most established chefs of their respective generations.

"In the interest of abiding both of your egos, I propose we judge in a slightly different manner, this time around. We'll use the Justice rotation."

A murmur of excitement went through the crowd at Senzaemon's words. It had been a long time since anyone had seen fit to use the Justice rotation.

"The Justice rotation?"

Erina turned to Sōma, whose tone was inquisitive. He seemed surprised by the odd statement, having never heard of such a thing.

"It's a method of judging shokugekis. Usually, as you know, all of the judges will sample one dish. Give their thoughts. Sample the other, giving their thoughts again. And then compare the two and serve their verdict after internal deliberation. A Justice rotation is where each judge will eat a different dish than the opposite judge before giving their feedback and trying the second dish. With the third judge sampling both at once while acting as somewhat of an intermediary."

"That seems decidedly odd." said Sōma. "I presume it isn't used very often?"

"Even I've only ever seen that done twice, and never in a match I participated in." said Erina. "The supposed purpose for it is so that judging isn't affected by any sort of preconceptions formed by eating a specific dish first, be they mental preconceptions or a literal, physical tainting of your palate."

Erina went to explain further but then stopped as she realized that this was probably the first conversation that she and Sōma had had in months that wasn't fraught with tension or secrets or panic attacks. It was almost reminiscent of the conversations they'd had before…everything had happened. Him being clueless about something and her having to explain to him yet another part of Tōtsuki culture that he didn't understand.

"Alright, I'm fine with that then. Alice-san, if you please?"

Alice stepped forward, placing a plate before Gin and her grandfather.

"And what are you presenting to us today, Alice-chan?" Senzaemon asked.

Alice held up her finger, a playful glint in her eyes as she began to speak.

"Sōma-kun and I have prepared a variation of _Crab Tempura_ , accompanied by _Angel Pasta Salad._ "

Senzaemon uncovered his plate, to find a beautifully arranged mound of thin pasta noodles nestled atop a bed of colorful salad. The pasta and vegetables were arranged in such a way that they formed a rudimentary image of a crab, leaving him to assume that the crab meat itself must be nestled inside of the noodles. A brown, light sauce was drizzled over the entire arrangement, adding yet another layer of artistic depth to the dish.

Senzaemon narrowed his eyes, wondering if they were playing tricks on him. After a few seconds, he confirmed that his eyes were just as sharp as they'd always been. There'd been a twitch from inside the noodles. After a few more seconds, there was even further twitching, the surface of the noodles spasming every so often, as if what lay under it was trying to escape.

"Alice-chan…what is this?" asked Senzaemon slowly, less perturbed and more intrigued. There was no way the crab itself was still alive; he'd seen Sōma clean them himself. This sort of oddity had Alice's flair written all over it. What exactly had his ingenious granddaughter come up with?

"That's a surprise, ojii-chan. Just try it! It won't bite, I promise." said Alice before marching back to her cart and presenting two of the three remaining plates to Erina who looked incredulous. Alice rolled her eyes, all but forcing the plates into her hands.

"Oh come now, Erina. Is it really that surprising? I've told you time and again that I would make you taste defeat. Why settle for a metaphor when I can have your famous tongue do it for me?"

Erina's eyes narrowed into a challenging stare.

"Is that so?"

Erina turned to Megumi, who'd come back to her side after delivering their dish to Shinomiya and Senzaemon. She exchanged a few words with the other girls before heading back to their station and returning with two covered plates.

"In that case, it would be remiss of me to deny you and Yukihira-kun the opportunity to sample our food. Please, enjoy."

"And just what is this that you've prepared, cousin?"

" _Burmese Duck Leg and Potato Curry_." said Erina. "I'd say I hope you enjoy it, but considering I made it; that's a foregone conclusion, wouldn't you say?"

Alice rolled her eyes with a long suffering sigh, taking the plates from her cousin and walking over to Sōma, who stood at their cart, his posture stiff and uncompromising. She handed a plate to Sōma, who took it from her, having heard the whole exchange.

"This should be interesting." he commented drily, gauging the warmth of the food in his hands.

"I'm sure it will be." said Alice.

"Well, it seems pretty much everyone's getting in on this first taste, ladies and gentlemen!" said Urara, to excited applause as several members of the audience leaned forward with anticipation. This was it. The culmination of the hours spent working and preparing, all coming to a head in one final, brief burst of flavor. "Judges, are you ready?"

At their nods, Urara shouted once more.

"Let the judging commence!"

The judges uncovered their plates. The contestants mirrored their movements.

They picked up their chopsticks. And then they took their first bite.

* * *

The ground was dark and desolate, the sky above covered in clouds that reduced the daylight to a mere shadow of its former self. Littering the ground were memories of the fallen; forks, knives, aprons; corkscrews and more were all strewn about the earth, remnants of battles long past.

Sōma was garbed in old, cracked armor, reminiscent of the samurai of old. Two nigh identical katana lay strapped to either side of his hips, a chain entwined in the hilt of one of them. Alice stood behind him with a rag and spray bottle, futilely buffing the worn metal in an attempt to prepare for the coming conflict. A large shield hung across the girl's back was the only armament she possessed.

Erina and Megumi stood across from them; the Nakiri heiress was garbed in full plate mail, her blonde hair flowing out of an opening in the back of her helm. The facemask sat low, obscuring her eyes but leaving the grim mask of determination that was the rest of her face visible. In her hands, she held a long, double handed claymore that looked more axe than sword. Megumi stood behind and to her left; twin grooved daggers held in her grip; blades meant to parry and deflect as opposed to stab and slash.

A voice boomed. The voice of Dojima Gin, a formidable soldier in his time that was now an observer and advisor to this new generation of warriors.

 _The duck is amazingly tender. Much tenderer than I would've ever expected, even considering the time spent marinating._

"The ducks were reared by our classmate personally. They've been treated with the utmost care and were killed only hours ago." said Erina, stepping forward and swinging her blade down towards Sōma's form.

Another voice chimed in, the spectral tones of Shinomiya Kojiro resounding across the plain.

 _The pasta is so thin but satisfying. It meshes perfectly well with the salad and, in turn…is that crab meat twitching?_

Erina's sword came down onto Alice's shield with a harsh _CLANG_! The crouching girl grinned up at her cousin.

"The machine we used doesn't have a name; the patents are pending. But it wafts liquid nitrogen over the meat in very light amounts, to the point where it freezes the skin and only slightly chills the meat below."

Alice pushed, forcing her cousin's blade off and to the side before dancing backwards, her tongue extended in jest.

"Heating filaments were then used to heat the meat from the inside out before being removed right before serving. The contrast in heating and cooling causes the fresh muscle fibers to contract and relax rapidly as the meat sits on the plate, mimicking actual movement." she said cheekily, winking at her opponents.

Erina stepped back, bringing her sword back into a ready position.

 _The crab meat still has a cool sheen to it; but when you bite into the meat, it's also suffused with warmth. A truly exquisite paradox._

Sōma drew his blades at speed, slicing out at Erina in a blistering hail of slashes. Erina grunted, stepping back with the force of each slash before Sōma suddenly stopped, his movements arrested. His blades were held in the grooves of Megumi's daggers as her golden eyes locked onto his own, where she'd stepped in to defend her partner. Gin's voice spoke, pleasantly surprised.

 _It's not like I haven't had curry with potatoes in it. And it's not like I haven't had curries that utilized duck meat. But still this…this is something special._

Megumi pushed, forcing Sōma back as she pirouetted; her daggers lancing out and scratching his armor, the force pushing him back even further. Gin continued speaking.

 _There's something so distinct about this dish. You can feel the signature of both chef's shine through in an oddly harmonious way. I can tell that this is a dish that could only be made by the two that did it._

Erina stepped forward, switching positions with Megumi flawlessly. Her blade came down, striking Sōma's shoulder pauldron with heavy force, causing him to grunt and fall to one knee. Her blade bit into the worn armor; the cracks widening even further beneath the steel.

 _What's this…Yukihira's dish is…odd. It makes me feel…strange. It's like a tide of negativity that's been tempered by a warm edge. A redirection of force and emotion. It's making what should've been an unpleasant experience an intriguing and unique one._

Alice lashed out, ramming Erina directly in the chest with her large shield, forcing the armored girl back a step. Alice gritted her teeth and stepped forward again, doing her best to force the blonde away from Sōma's kneeling form. He stood to his feet, only barely swaying.

 _Dojima, I'm sure that Tadokoro-san and Erina-san's dish is harmonious. They clearly interact well as both chefs and friends. But Yukihira and Alice-san's dish clashes with itself in a way that shouldn't work but simply does. It's astounding._

Sōma stabbed forward, his blades moving as if to pierce Alice straight through. Instead she grinned saucily as she shifted ever so slightly, one sword barely missing her cheek and the other one sailing through the crook of her elbow, the sudden appearance of the sword tips forcing Erina back. Still, a line of blood appeared on her cheek, the crimson liquid slowly draining down the side of her face. She didn't bother to wipe it off.

 _Their sense of trust and harmony seeps into every fiber of the dish, Shinomiya! I can literally taste the bonds forged in this generation's Polar Star in every spoonful of this curry. These two have somehow manage to portray the will and determination of their entire dorm in a single plate._

 _Heh. That's nice and all, but I doubt that could match the passion I feel in every single portion of my plate. The pasta, the salad, the crab meat…it's all suffused with a passion that can't be matched. A chaotic yet beautiful arrangement that I can't get enough of._

Sōma's eyes widened and he bared his teeth in what was more of a snarl than a grin. Black miasma burst forth to coat his body. Alice crouched down in front of him, drawing her shield in front of her. Sōma leapt into the air, landing on the shield for just a second. Alice heaved, launching him forwards and into Erina's armored form, bodily forcing her away from Megumi. Megumi didn't spare her partner a glance; instead she rushed forward to trade blows with Alice, whose shield took the brunt of the girl's force easily; the daggers not even scratching the surface.

Erina shifted her sword at an angle, the wide blade doing what it could to block Sōma's dual onslaught. She waited patiently, allowing her armor to take the brunt of the damage from the flurry of slashes Sōma was delivering. His expression was crazed but focused; a berserker's madness tempered and honed by relentless discipline into a single direction. Black smoke wafted off of him, wisps discharging with each strike.

 _I think we've both said all that's needed to be said. Shall we start in on the other dish then, Dojima-san?_

 _Gladly._

Suddenly, the two fighters broke apart, Sōma springing back to stand several feet away from his foe as the black mist faded as quickly as it had appeared. They were both breathing hard, staring at each other under the harsh sunlight of this deserted battlefield. Erina's sword fell as she lowered it, one hand leaving the hilt to go to her visor. She moved it upwards; uncovering the rest of her face.

Purple eyes glared at Sōma across the gap between them. They said all that needed to be said, without a single, spoken word. Sōma didn't say anything in return to the intense stare. He simply stood, both naked blades held out to opposing sides. Erina brought her visor back down, her briefly angry countenance exchanged for the calm focus with which she'd been fighting with.

 _This angel's hair pasta is amazingly well done. And the salad that acts as a bed for it, along with the gastrique, produce a striking contrast. Wonderful work, Yukihira-kun. Alice-san._

 _This duck is just as tender as you described, Dojima-san. I'm not surprised at all that this bird was alive less than twelve hours ago. My compliments to the student that reared it._

Both warriors moved, Erina swinging her sword in a wide arc that would've cut Sōma in two if he hadn't moved, his blades lashing out towards Erina. The knight turned, the katana only barely catching a few strands of her honey blonde hair. The stray ends were whisked away in the wind almost instantly. Erina stepped forward, her armored fist lashing out to thump into Sōma's chest solidly, sending the rōnin back with a grunt of pain.

 _Hmmm….I'm impressed. I would've thought this meal would be a bit too heavy after experiencing Yukihira's lighter fare. But I don't feel it at all._

"We used coconut water instead of fresh water as the base of the curry." said Erina, stepping forward once more to lash out at Sōma, who only barely dodged the large sword. "The coconut's sweetness counteracted a good portion of the blunt savory flavor of a dish like this. It was an idea of Megumi-chan's, had in the heat of the moment. She thought it would be more pleasing to the palate. And…"

Erina stepped forward once more, stabbing her blade forward.

"I."

Another stab.

"Couldn't."

A slash this time.

"Agree."

A double handed overhead strike finished the combination.

"More."

Alice peeked out from behind the shield, frowning down at the new rents in it before looking up and grinning mischievously at Erina. Sōma stood behind her, looking at Alice with a measure of gratitude. He leaned forward and hugged her body to his own, nipping playfully at her ear as he grinned savagely. The pale girl blushed madly.

 _Loath as I am to admit it, I must agree with you, Shinomiya. The sheer passion and emotion of this deceptively mild dish is beyond uncanny. The blistering storm of rage, tempered by the gentle guiding hand. It's almost like a tragic love story._

Megumi fell from the sky to land beside Erina in a crouch. She glared at Alice, who merely stuck her tongue out from where she sat, cradled in Sōma's arm. He released her, but not before murmuring in her ear while his hand roamed to a place that caused Alice to shove him and hide behind her shield.

Sōma turned to face Erina; the grin on his lips was small but it was all the more fearsome for it. Erina held her blade at the ready but couldn't account for Sōma's speed; he dashed forward, leaping straight over her with his blade lashing out at her face. The katana hit, glancing off her helmet and causing it to ring fiercely. His chained katana struck less than a second later at another angle, sending the helm flying off of Erina's head into the dirt several meters away. Erina's body turned with the blow and a trickle of red was visible on the side of her head as it began to drip onto the dry ground.

 _I…I am impressed. Despite my insistence on sampling Polar Star's dish first; I am casting my vote with Central. This crab tempura appears so deceptively simple, in both appearance and preparation, but that only goes to show how subtle and well placed the chefs' influence was on this meal. Yukihira Sōma and Nakiri Alice have personified themselves on this plate in more ways than one. Their differing styles have come together and produced something truly remarkable. If my sous chef and I had half this level of synergy…I can only imagine what we'd be able to accomplish._

Sōma turned to face Erina, who wasn't looking at him. Instead she was still turned away, where his blow had left her. Her blonde hair, now free of the helmet entirely, was blowing in the wind, as the stream of red continued to flow down the side of her face. Sōma twirled his chained katana, whistling without a sound, ostensibly casual. He stepped forward but was forced to immediately retreat as a dagger sunk into the dirt before him. Megumi leapt forwards, her single dagger lashing out to catch Sōma in the unprotected armpit joint of his armor.

 _This assures me that my faith in her is anything but misplaced. Despite the fact that Nakiri Erina was the lead chef on this meal, the influence of Tadokoro Megumi has interwoven in a way that is almost undetectable yet also undeniable. Every step she's taken has been to support Erina-san's cooking; she's been the perfect support. Unseen, unheard but always there, always helpful, always_ _ **hospitable**_ **.** _For all that Erina-san is the lead actor, Tadokoro-chan is the stage manager, crew and supporting cast all in one. There is no question. My vote lies with them. With Polar Star._

Sōma tried to dodge the stab but was only partially successful. The blade still managed to catch him in the side, the rough edge tearing at the skin over his ribs and the straps holding his armor in place. The plates that made up his torso armor fell away as he jumped backwards, looking down at his damaged side. Luckily, the wound was fairly shallow; Megumi's weapons were meant to defend, not attack after all. But all bets were off when her friends were in trouble. Megumi lunged forward, a kick snapping out towards Sōma's face; it missed but the edge of her boot managed to hit the crest on his helmet, sending it careening off in much the same manner as Erina's.

Sōma stepped back, ears ringing as he did his best to apply pressure to his wound with the inside of his forearm. He would've preferred to clutch it with a hand but both of them were currently occupied with his swords. Red flowed past the pressure he placed on the wound and, soon, his own red stream started to drip towards the ground. He gritted his teeth, abandoning his attempt to staunch the wound in favor of slashing out at Megumi. She caught his blade in the grooves of her dagger easily but allowed herself to be forced back.

Megumi glanced back, only barely dodging out of the way of Alice's shielded charge. The blue haired girl danced back and away to stand beside Erina, who still hadn't turned to face the conflict. The only movement from her, if you could call it that, was her hair moving with the wind and the constant stream of red dripping from her chin onto the ground below.

Alice stood at Sōma's side, her expression worried. She turned to Sōma but he simply shook his head at her, waving her back. He stepped forward and grit his teeth. The black aura rose once again but in a different manner. It didn't burst forth so much as crawl to coat Sōma's skin in an intense, tightly packed layer. His expression wasn't manic or crazed; it was simply determined and serious. All of his emotion had been laser focused into one singular goal; triumphing over the blonde knight that stood in his way.

Erina finally turned to face her opponent. One side of her face was marred by a streak of blood that, even now, continued to drip. Despite this, her eyes were as sharp and unmoved as ever. At some unspoken signal, Megumi stepped forward and unbuckled the straps on the girl's chest plate. The heavy plate mail fell to the floor, dust erupting into clouds as it struck the loose dirt. Her greaves and boots soon followed, until she was only garbed in a black, clinging body suit, a chain mail vest and the gauntlets of her original heavy armor. She held her blade up, swinging it a few times experimentally before settling into an open, loose stance.

 _So we're in disagreement, then? I can't say I'm surprised. Are you?_

 _Not in the least, Shinomiya. Senzaemon-sama, you are the deciding vote._

 _Now that I think about it, you've been oddly quiet for a while now, Senzaemon-sama. Are you still considering who deserves it?_

Sōma began to move forward. It started as a light jog, before accelerating further and further until he was locked into a dead sprint. Both katana were held out to either side of his body and his feet thumped against the ground as he continued to go faster and faster. The light catching his red hair at the speeds he was moving made it look like he was crowned with flames.

Erina began moving forward in response; she didn't waste time on accelerating slowly. She burst forward at full speed, moving at speeds that could almost match Sōma now that the bulk of her armor had been discarded. Her blade was held out and to the side, the tip was only barely avoiding skirting the ground. Her hands tightened around the hilt as the distance between her and Sōma shrank with every passing second. Her hair flared out, trailing yellow as it caught the sunlight.

 _Well…what'll it be? Don't leave us in suspense._

 _I must admit; it is not often I see you mired in indecision like this, Senzaemon-sama. You're usually quite decisive in your judgements._

Their feet thundered across the terrain as they streaked towards each other. This was it. The final blow. Things would be decided here and now. In one move.

Thirty feet became twenty. Twenty feet became ten. Ten feet became five.

A third voice, that of an aged king, rumbled throughout the landscape for the first time that day.

 _No…I'm not having any trouble deciding. From the first taste, I knew exactly which dish had my vote._

Twin katana slashed through the air. A claymore's blade whistled as it was swung.

 _For me, once I'd sampled both dishes, there was no question. Not for a single, solitary second._

Erina stood, her sword held aloft in the air from the follow-through of a swing.

Sōma stood a scant few feet past her, crouched from his charge. His swords were held tightly in his hands, flared out from the slash he'd put his strength into.

The king spoke once more. Blood burst forth in a wide, fatal arc.

Time passed. Slowly. Seconds felt more like hours as both warriors remained standing; the ground between them stained crimson.

And then. Finally.

Someone smiled. Someone fell.

* * *

"And with that, the shokugeki has concluded." said Urara, gesturing towards the judges' table. "The showing by both of our contestants was spectacular as I'm sure you can tell; it really says something when two former first seats disagree on the outcome of a match! Please give a round of applause for our victors!"

The crowd was silent; not even a whisper was heard as every single person in the room looked upwards at the electronic scoreboard. Senzaemon's eyes were closed even as he stood from his seat, arms folded. The upper half of his robe was thrown open, the fabric lying somewhere around his waist, leaving his defined, muscled form on display. The accompanying haori was on the floor, stripped from Senzaemon's form in approval for the cooking talent he'd borne witness to.

Soma looked down at the empty plate in his hands. His fingers trembled as he gripped the ceramic, cracks running from where his fingers were in contact with the plate. From the corner of his eye, he saw Alice's sad expression and he knew. He knew what he would see when he looked up.

 _Yukihira Sōma & Nakiri Alice – 1_

 _Nakiri Erina & Tadokoro Megumi – 2 _

Not a sound was heard as everyone struggled to process just what had happened. Had that really happened? Had Yukihira Sōma, the man that had been singlehandedly tearing Tōtsuki's upper echelon apart at the seams just lost?

The crack of a glass shattering was heard. It would've usually been a small, easily missed noise. But, in the dead quiet of the arena, it was magnified and easily pinpointed. All eyes turned to its source. The Director's booth.

Azami was on his feet, an empty smile on his face. He would've been the picture of relaxed amusement, were it not for the glass shards and wine staining one of his gloves. Without a word or glance backwards, he turned and exited the booth, disappearing noiselessly through the doors in the rear of the box.

As the last of his cloak fluttered through and out of the doorway; the cheering started. This time, there was no slow build up; no gradual building to a crescendo. The audience, almost as one, erupted into hooting and hollering as everyone clapped. Everyone. Even those that had been on Central's side were swept up into the sheer excitement; clapping and applauding with the rest. It had been an amazing match, no matter the outcome, after all. They could clap for that, even if not for the victors.

The section that housed the Polar Star residents was by far the loudest. Streamers and sparklers were out in full glory as they all cheered. Daigo and Shoji between them held a banner that was larger than both of them combined, professing Polar Star's victory for all to see. Yuki was crying into Shun's shirt, even as she continued waving a flag that had Fumio's face on it. The quiet boy wasn't clapping or cheering but the bright, wide smile on his face said it all.

Ryoko was pouring out rice juice for everyone in range with a cup and a desire to celebrate. And if this particular bottle had a bit of an extra kick to it, what was the harm? Satoshi had shed his clothes entirely; his modesty preserved solely by an apron with 'Congratulations!' written across it in bold kanji as he continued waving his Erina branded flag vigorously. He caught Megumi's eye and he smiled happily, nodding at the girl. He mouthed something that she only barely caught.

'I knew you could do it'

Erina held her hands to her chest, closing her eyes as she let the noise and warmth wash over her. She'd been cheered for like this dozens, if not hundreds, of times in the past but this…this time felt different. This time, it felt like it mattered. Like she'd done something other than be the God's Tongue or the Nakiri heiress to receive them. She'd just been Erina. She'd earned them.

A small, warm hand slipped into hers and Erina turned to meet Megumi's smiling face. Whatever sliver of darkness may have still resided in her had been completely expunged by Senzaemon's proclamation.

"You did it, Erina-chan. Just like you said you would."

Erina shook her head, trying and failing to keep the smile on her face restrained. Without thinking, her arms came out to surround Megumi in a tight hug that was reciprocated almost immediately.

"No. We did it, Megumi-chan. WE did it."

Erina released Megumi and turned to face their fallen opponents. Alice was pouting dejectedly, her arms crossed, all petulance. Her cousin was, and probably always would be, a sore loser. She looked back at Erina and her expression eased for a second as she gave Erina a grudging nod and smile before reverting to the pouty childishness that she was known for. Erina smiled at the familiar gesture before turning to look at Sōma, who stood somewhat behind Alice. He was staring up at the scoreboard. His hands hung limply even though his expression was as withdrawn and cold as Erina had ever seen it. Shards of broken porcelain littered the floor around his feet.

As if he could feel her gaze, Sōma turned to lock eyes with Erina. She flinched in surprise at the hollowness within them. His dull, yellow eyes bored into hers with an intensity that, if she was being honest, frightened her. After several seconds of staring, something sparked within his eyes. Something that Erina didn't recognize but seemed almost worse than the emptiness had been.

Erina gasped softly as she held out her hand, unsure of what exactly was going to happen but knowing she wanted to prevent it. Whatever it was. Sōma smiled bitterly at her; an honest smile, if not a happy one. He stepped towards the sink and raised his left hand into the air; the tinkling of the chain only barely catching Alice's ear.

She turned to face Sōma, only to see him reach up and unhook his chain and grip it in his right hand before dropping it into the drain of the sink and flipping a switch on the base of the counter with his left hand. A shrill, grating noise rang out as the garbage disposal started up, the blades clashing against the links of Sōma's chain in a cacophony that was only barely disguised by the continued cheering of the crowd.

Sōma's shoulders began to shake and he shuddered, almost falling to his knees. His white knuckled grip on the countertop was the only reason he stayed standing. He continued trembling; flinching at every harsh, dissonant clang of metal on metal until, after what was much too long, the only sound left was the cheering of the crowd and the low humming and whirring of the activated garbage disposal.

Sōma stopped shaking, falling into a relaxed pose as a few stray tremors passed through him before his body settled completely. He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck as he rubbed at the back of it with one hand. He reached over and turned the garbage disposal off with a casual flick of his fingers before placing both hands into his pockets. He still hadn't turned to face either Nakiri.

"Sōma-kun…"

Alice's voice seemed to catch his attention and Sōma turned to look at her, smiling at her. The manic edge to it only served to make Alice worry even more.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I really am. I tried."

As did that proclamation and the lost quality to Sōma's voice.

Then he turned and locked eyes with Erina. His eyes caught hers and the sheer fire in them caught Erina off guard. Sōma's eyes…they _burnt_. Sōma began chuckling, lowly at first. But soon, the volume began to escalate until he was laughing so hard that he was having trouble catching his breath.

The crowd was still cheering but, by now, more than a few had noticed what was happening in the arena below and had stopped, confused as to why Yukihira Sōma was currently in the throes of a laughing fit.

Sōma continued laughing, all but ignoring the cramping pains in his stomach as he held his chest, taking a deep breath only to release it in another hysterical fit of hilarity. His bright yellow eyes were still locked onto Erina's, although he was swaying with the attempt to stay on his feet through the spasms wracking his body.

Erina didn't know how to react; she simply stood frozen, as she watched Sōma break down before her. Alice was similarly struck. Both of her hands were held out towards Sōma beseechingly and she took a cautious step forward, flinching as the movement caused Sōma to glance her way before looking back at Erina, without a single pause in his laughter.

Even after Alice had come fully forward and tried to speak with him, Sōma continued laughing.

Even after Joichiro had descended from the audience, his face a grim mask of concern, Sōma continued laughing.

Even after the crowd had stopped cheering and he was the only source of noise in the entire arena, Sōma continued laughing.

He laughed.

And laughed.

And laughed.


	19. Chapter 18

He stared up at the scoreboard in disbelief. No, disbelief wasn't the right word.

Rejection. Absolute rejection.

He rejected this conclusion; completely and wholeheartedly. This simply couldn't be.

 _Yukihira Sōma & Nakiri Alice – 1_

 _Nakiri Erina & Tadokoro Megumi – 2_

He stared at that lone digit; wondering if he could change it through sheer force of will.

No. There was no need to change that which wasn't real. This simply couldn't be happening.

But no matter how hard he bit the inside of his cheek, he wasn't waking up. He was caught in the inescapable reality of this moment. He'd lost. He'd lost this shokugeki. He'd lost everything.

 _As long as Saiba-senpai remains here at Tōtsuki, you have my word…_

He'd be losing that soon enough then; in one simple decisive blow, months of work, stress and pain were all rendered useless.

 **Not useless…**

His wrist throbbed and he gritted his teeth. It seemed Alice had been more than a little convincing. At least to some part of him. The part that still put his faith in hope. And people.

His wrist throbbed again, the dull pain sharpening into a persistent ache. It had been happening more and more over the past few days; ever since Rindō had come in like the natural disaster she was and destroyed the only good thing he'd been able to salvage out of this mess.

 **It's…not destroyed…**

Not for lack of trying! Do you forgive the shooter just because she missed your head and hit you in the shoulder?

 **Alice understands.**

Ever since then; ever since Rindō's threats and his talk with Alice, he'd been disagreeing with himself more and more. They'd always done things differently; he'd been the strong one, the intelligent one, the one with the False God's Tongue. He'd stepped up time and again to shield his weaker half; to be the strength they both needed. Because they'd both agreed on what needed to be done. It's why the chain, for all the detest they held for it, was still needed.

His wrist throbbed again, the ache increasing even further. But the pain wasn't important. Nothing was. Except for the verdict that had been delivered by her grandfather. He knew how important this was…how important everything he'd been doing was and he hadn't hesitated for even a second to tear it all down.

A small part of his attention noticed Azami's exit, along with the exuberant cheering of the crowd around them. Each cry and wave only made him sink further; they had no idea what they were cheering for. They were ignorant of what was truly lost this day. They were all so happy because a collection of badly painted rooms and shoddy construction got to stay standing.

 **Polar Star…the friends we left there…they are important.**

He'd demolish it in a second if it would've suited him. And realizing that only made his wrist start to pulse in time with his heartbeat; each tick sending fire running up and down his arm. He could feel the horror from his other self and he felt the divide between them grow even larger. He could feel the tension, taut and stretched like a rubber band.

The plate slipped from his hands but he didn't care. The noise of it shattering on the floor didn't even stir him. He just continued to stare upwards until he felt eyes on him. And not just any eyes. Important, bright, purple eyes.

He turned and faced those eyes.

 **Erina…**

The pain was starting to become unbearable. He felt half remembered memories creeping into the back of his mind, memories of shackles and fire. He felt his other half cower and quake; gibbering madly as he continued to stand strong, as he always did. Always would. Regardless of how he felt.

That's when he came to a decision and he felt the shackles that made him up, for the first time in what seemed like too long, finally ease and loosen. He felt like he could breathe again, even as the other part of him protested.

 **No…you can't…**

He felt a smile work its way onto his face. He couldn't see it but knew, based on the way that those purple eyes had flinched, that it must have been an ugly thing to see.

 **It's too dangerous…we don't know what would happen. We'd be lost!**

No. YOU would be. He strode over to the sink and unclasped his chain in one swift motion. He resisted, for the first time in what seemed like too long, the urge to surrender to his other self. To give him control. He held the chain above the sink and tried to drop it. But felt his hand stall. For a brief second. The distinction between Sōma and **Sōma** grew even further as his other self tried to resist.

With almost contemptuous ease, the struggle was won and he dropped the chain before switching on the garbage disposal. He felt each and every harsh clank resonate as something more than just metal was destroyed. Each clang of the disposal blades meeting the chain hit him in a way that only served to widen the gap even further.

 **What have we done…**

As the last of the metal clashing faded, he straightened up. He reached over and switched the garbage disposal off, the whirring hum fading. The crowd was still cheering, still oblivious, still ignorant.

 **WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?**

He gasped as he felt the shackles slip and loosen completely, fading into so much nothing. But his other self hadn't faded with it. Instead he felt the pressure in his head suddenly rise and swell, seemingly without end as his other half reached across the divide, a wordless scream running through his mind as what should've been the frail part of himself lashed out with a strength that he recognized. A strength he'd thought only he had.

"Sōma-kun…"

He turned to face Alice, even now smiling at the girl he loved. The girl who'd made him a promise that she couldn't have known she wouldn't be able to keep.

"I'm sorry, Alice. I really am. I tried."

And he had. He'd taken Alice at her word and he'd wanted to let her help. To help him become something better. Something like what he once was, before he made a deal with the devil. For her.

Those bright purple eyes were still staring at him, wide eyed. For some reason, the expression in them, on top of everything else; on top of the stress, the pain, the _failure_ …it made him laugh. A deep, hysteria edged laugh that held no joy, despite its volume and pitch.

Even as he felt his other half wail and scream against the walls of his psyche, he laughed. The chain had been the only thing holding him together, even as it held him back. It had been a limiter; a pneumonic device oh-so-helpfully suggested by Kobayashi Rindō.

Even as he felt his already unstable mind tremble, splinter and split as his weaker self…or at least the self he'd always thought of as _lesser_ …waged war. To take back that which was rightfully theirs, he laughed. That part of him, it wasn't weakness. No. It was something else; something he'd lost. Something vulnerable, yes. But he was realizing now that it wasn't weak. It was never weak.

Even as he felt himself losing control, his other self gaining more and more with each second, he laughed. Would he be the one to vanish? To be forgotten in the back of his mind as the part of himself that he could no longer call weak took full control. Who knew?

He certainly didn't. And so he laughed.

And laughed

And laughed.

* * *

Alice stepped up to the door of the room and raised her hand to knock. Before her knuckles could make contact with the wood, she paused. She stared at the door for several seconds, her mind going in several directions before finally settling on one. A course that was pure Alice.

She knocked firmly on the door.

"Sōma-kun, I'm coming in. I hope you're decent!"

Without any further preamble, she swung the door open and stepped inside. Sōma was in bed but he was awake; his back propped up against the headboard. He didn't turn to face her, content to stare at the far wall. His face was empty in a way that was even hollower than he usually appeared. His eyes had deep, dark lines around them and his hair fell almost flat and lifeless, a dull red as opposed to the bright scarlet it usually was.

He was clad in a set of sweatpants and nothing else; normally the sight would've made Alice flush and grin in equal measure but this time, she had more important things to focus on.

"You're still in bed? Come now, Sōma-kun. It's been two days. Don't be such a sore loser."

With a cheeky grin, Alice stepped over to the bed, setting herself down on the covers next to him. She bumped him with her shoulder playfully. Sōma didn't say anything but he glanced at her, briefly, before looking away again. Alice didn't let the way that made her feel show on her face. Instead she leaned over, pinching Sōma's ear and tugging at it.

"Sōma-kunnnnnnnn." she whined, frowning up at him. He turned to face her but he didn't say anything. The look in his eyes would've made Alice shiver if she hadn't spent the last two days getting used to it.

After his episode at the arena, Sōma had collapsed and Joichiro had rushed him off to the nearest hospital. They'd returned to the Nakiri mansion almost two hours later to find almost everyone that knew the red head crowded into the foyer, anxious for news on Sōma's condition. He had a clean bill of health, although the physician had noted that he had clear signs of someone that overworked themselves on a regular basis and he should be sure to curb the amount of pressure he put on himself and recommended bed rest.

Sōma hadn't said a word since returning, despite the concerned questioning of those around him. His silence only provoked more and more questions until, finally, after what must have been the twentieth inquiry, his facial expression shifted and he said a single word.

Alice.

The named girl saw the look on Sōma's face and the raw fear and pain there brought her back to weeks before; to the vision of that lone, hurting boy, shackled to the ground. She'd then proceeded to usher Sōma to his room before turning and kicking out each and every single person that didn't call the Nakiri mansion home. It took some pushing and shoving (quite literally) but, after a time, she was the only one left.

Sōma still didn't say a word. Alice wondered what it said about her that she considered the easing in his shoulders and the renewed calmness of his face thanks enough. She'd tried to get him to open up to her, gently prodding him with questions and support, but Sōma hadn't responded to either. Instead he'd simply gone to his room and proceeded to take up residence there for the next two days.

"Sōma-kun, you can't just sit and wallow in your room forever. Sooner or later, you're going to have to get out of this funk. Would you just…would you please talk to me?"

"…can't."

That was how it had been. The most Alice was ever able to get out of him were short one word or two word responses, responses that didn't address anything and simply made her more concerned.

"Sōma-kun…I want to help you. Really, I do. But you need to let me in. Please. I'm…I'm begging you."

Sōma looked at Alice with a forlorn expression but simply shook his head, turning away from her and facing the wall. Alice sighed despondently, disappointed but not surprised. While this was certainly preferable to manic fits of laughter, it didn't mean that Alice particularly enjoyed this version of Sōma either.

She left the room without another word, pulling her phone out of her pocket as she walked down the hall. She tapped out a series of numbers before placing the receiver at her ear. It had barely rung once before the person on the other end picked up.

"You better have a good reason for ignoring all of my texts, Alice."

"I'm sorry, dear cousin. I've been a little preoccupied, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"How is he?"

Alice hummed non-committedly in lieu of actually answering.

"That bad, huh?"

"He's still not speaking to me. Not really, anyway. I've tried jokes, greetings, insults, physical violence. Nothing seems to provoke a reaction. I've even tried…"

Alice cut herself off, blushing. Erina didn't need to know about that.

"Suffice to say, I've tried pretty much everything I can think of."

"So you're finally ready to lift that stupid ban?"

"Yes, visitors are officially allowed back into the mansion. Although I still think it would be better if only a few of you came at a time. I don't think Sōma-kun would do well with crowds."

"I suppose not. Well, I'll let the others know. Megumi-chan and I should be over soon."

"I wish you luck. See you soon, cousin."

Alice hung up the phone, turning a corner and almost running directly into Ryo.

"Oh, Ryo-kun. Be more careful, please. What if you'd knocked me to the floor?"

The quiet boy didn't feel the need to point out that she'd been the one to almost walk into him.

"Ah…sure, ojou. My apologies."

He moved past her continuing down the hallway, listening carefully. Once he was sure that she was far enough away, Ryo turned around and doubled back, heading towards his original destination. Sōma's room.

He knocked on the door brusquely before letting himself in. Sōma glanced over at Ryo before looking away. If he was surprised by the seafood chef's presence, he didn't show it. Ryo stood near the door, leaning against the wall. His dark eyes were set on Sōma.

"So that's it for you, Yukihira?"

At his name, Sōma glanced at Ryo again but he didn't say anything in response. Ryo stepped over and seated himself in the chair that Alice had left by Sōma's bedside. He continued looking at the boy with an inscrutable look.

"You're going to let one loss be the end of everything?"

Sōma didn't say anything. He didn't even look at Ryo.

"I can't claim to know exactly what you're doing. Or why. But it has to be something pretty important. So for you to chicken out now is more than a little sad, ya know. Especially after all you've put Alice through."

That particular comment got Sōma to look back at Ryo and he held the boy's red eyed gaze.

"She cares about you. Despite everything. And I refuse to let you dishonour that by wallowing like this. Your reasons don't matter to me. I don't care just what it is you're trying to do; I just care that you're hurting my sister in the process. Get better. _Be_ better, Yukihira. Or I just might have to actually kick your ass."

Sōma didn't seem particularly intimidated by Ryo's threat. In fact, he almost smiled in response. Almost.

"Something funny about what I said?"

"You…love her…"

Ryo frowned, as if Sōma had said something particular obvious or foolish.

"Of course I do. She took me in when I had nothing and nobody in my corner. I'd do anything for her. And that includes making sure her idiotic cheater of an ex-boyfriend gets his shit together because she's too selfless to leave him behind."

Sōma flinched as if he'd been physically struck. It was clear that Ryo still hadn't forgiven him, despite Alice's assurances. He couldn't blame him. He still hadn't really forgiven himself either.

Ryo stood up abruptly, turning and heading to the door. As he reached the doorway, he paused.

"I doubt we could ever be friends again, Yukihira. But…for what it's worth, I wouldn't mind having you as a rival again. So let me know when you're ready to cross blades again in the kitchen."

Ryo left, closing the door behind him and leaving Sōma alone.

* * *

"Do you really think this will work, Erina-chan?"

Erina shrugged in response to Megumi's question. The two girls were walking down the hallways of the Nakiri mansion towards Sōma's room. Megumi held a small, white box in her hands, although she held it far from herself, as if she were afraid of its contents.

"I don't really know, Megumi-chan. But I don't think it could hurt at this point."

Erina knocked on the door before opening it, not bothering to wait for permission to enter. Alice had already told her it wouldn't happen one way or the other. She looked at the bed but found it empty, which was surprising. Alice had made it seem as if the boy hadn't left it for two straight days.

"Erina."

Erina looked over and found Sōma sitting at his desk, writing into a book. He closed it almost immediately at their entrance but didn't say anything further.

"Sōma-kun. Good morning. How are you?"

Sōma looked away from her imploring gaze. He simply turned his head to face the wall. It was a marvel that he hadn't burnt a hole into it with his stare by now. Erina didn't frown, despite how it hurt her to see Sōma like this. She nodded at Megumi, who stepped forward and placed the box and a pair of chopsticks into Sōma's unresisting hands.

"We made something for you, Sōma-kun. Please taste it and let us know what you think." she said, bowing.

Sōma looked down at the box in his hands. After a few seconds, his hands moved, albeit jerkily, and opened the container. It contained several small, white dumplings. Sōma reached for one and picked it up. He sniffed at it hesitantly but couldn't smell anything aside from flour. He placed it in his mouth.

He leaned back, almost falling out of his chair as his eyes widened, life coming back into them. The box fell from his hands, the rest of the dumplings scattering across the floor. His mouth started moving.

"There are over a hundred and thirty seven flaws within this dish. The vast majority of them are urgent, if not downright critical. The dough mixture is inconsistent, the pork used as the filling is much too salty, the herbs used do not compliment the rest of the dish or each other, there's an overabundance of both basil and ginseng added, along with a spice profile that is simply…simply…."

Sōma stopped talking abruptly, closing his eyes. He opened them less than a second later and turned to face Erina and Megumi. His expression was distinctly unamused.

"You've clearly taken a page out of my father's book."

Erina grinned haughtily down at him, even as Megumi smiled in response, clapping her hands.

"So it worked?" asked the blue haired girl excitedly.

"Not exactly." said Sōma, wiping the happy expressions from both girls' faces. "You have seconds at best before I recover."

"Recover?" asked Erina curiously.

"To how I was before that delightfully terrible dish." he said, tapping his fingers on the desk experimentally. "To that conflicted, immobile version of myself that is what I am when my other half isn't knocked off kilter by his oversensitive tongue."

"That's what you'd call a recovery?" asked Megumi concernedly. "And what do you mean by your other half?"  
Sōma turned to face her and opened his mouth to explain but then froze, blinking rapidly. A dull sheen settled over his eyes again and he closed his mouth, breaking eye contact with Megumi.

"Sōma-kun? Sōma-kun?" called Erina. Other than a momentary glance, Sōma didn't respond.

"No, you don't get to do this!"

Erina stepped forward and stood over Sōma's chair. She glared down at him angrily, doing her best to conceal the worry and fear that fuelled it.

"Yukihira Sōma! Do NOT ignore me. You have obligations to fulfil, do you hear me?"

Erina leaned down, almost nose to nose with the boy. Even then, he refused to meet her eyes.

"You agreed to our terms and we've won. Which means you owe us answers. And you also owe us the courtesy of not being so…so…obstinate!"

"Erina-chan."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she found her own hands fisted into Sōma's collar. He still wasn't looking at her but Erina noticed that he was trembling. Every few seconds he would shiver and twitch inside her hold.

Erina let go, stunned at the reaction. She wasn't a very physical person under normal circumstances. But these circumstances were hardly normal. Even so, Sōma shouldn't have reacted so negatively to her simply grabbing his shirt. God knows it had happened before he'd left. Was this yet another example of how damaged he was from the time spent with her father? Willingly, no less?

"Why, Sōma-kun? Why are you like this?"

It was clear that she didn't just mean Sōma as he was now.

"What could've possibly made you do this to yourself?"

He finally turned to face Erina and the look in his eyes pricked a sense of caution in the back of her mind. Before she could act on it, Sōma spoke and it was too late.

"You."

Erina stilled. It was such a simple word. You. One syllable, three letters. But the way Sōma said it left her feeling faint and lightheaded. With such pain, sadness and longing. It made her feel…she didn't know how it made her feel. And Erina wasn't very good at dealing with her feelings in the first place. So she did what she always did. She ignored them.

"What do you mean?"

Her voice was cold. Sōma didn't answer her. He just continued looking down at his desk, his fingers still tapping away.

"Yukihira-kun. What. Did. You. Mean?"

"Erina-chan…"

She turned to face Megumi, who didn't flinch at the cool look in her eyes. She stared back resolutely.

"I don't think this is the way to go about things."

"And why not?" Erina shot back before turning to face Sōma once more. "Yukihira-kun was more than willing to use force to get what he wanted thus far. Why should I be any different?"

"Because this isn't the Shokugeki arena. And Sōma-kun's our friend."

"Then he should act like one and stop ignoring us to our faces. And stop ending conversations with cryptic threats. And stop trying to tear down Tōtsuki one Research Society at a time."

Ice turned to fire, and Erina leaned forwards, jabbing Sōma in the shoulder with an extended finger as she made each point, her purple eyes alight with rage and hurt.

"Friends don't leave for months without any notice. Friends don't start dating your cousin and convince her to hide it. Friends don't go and work under your bastard of a father without a single word of explanation. Friends don't have panic attacks at the mere sight of you. Friends don't act like you don't. Fucking. Exist!"

By the end, Erina was shouting, her face red with exertion. Her eyes were moist but she was stubbornly resisting the urge to cry. She was done wasting her tears.

"I'm sick and tired of you and your bullshit, Yukihira Sōma! I've had it up to here with your silence and your secrets. I'm through."

Erina turned, flicking her hair as she stomped off past Megumi and towards the door. Megumi stretched a hand beseechingly.

"Erina-chan, where are you going?"

"Home. To Polar Star. I don't have time to waste on him if he's just going to sit there like this. All the good he's done isn't worth this."

"I don't understand; why are you so angry?" asked Megumi, more confused than anything else. Erina's reaction had been explosive, even for her. The heiress turned to face Megumi, trying and failing to keep the bite of her anger out of her voice as she addressed the other girl.

"I'm angry because of what he's done. He threw us away. He threw YOU away. Do you understand that?"

"He has his reasons, I know he does! Sōma-kun wouldn't leave us unless he had no other choice." argued Megumi. Erina swept her hand towards Sōma, who still wasn't looking at either of them.

"And just where has that gotten him?"

It was a low blow and Erina knew it. But she was much too angry to care. Megumi glowered at her, feeling angry in defense of the boy she still considered a friend, even after all he'd inadvertently put them through.

"That's not fair and you know it."

"No. I DON'T know that. Because he refuses to tell us anything of substance!" responded Erina, jabbing her finger at Sōma again for emphasis. "So when Yukihira-kun's ready to talk, he knows where to find me."

With that, Erina exited the room, slamming the door behind her so hard that the wall shook in response. Megumi stared at the closed door in surprise. She could tell that there was more to Erina's reaction than what she was saying but she knew how difficult it could be to get the girl to be honest. Especially with herself.

"Erina…"

Megumi looked over at Sōma but he wasn't looking at her. It seemed he hadn't even realized he'd muttered the girl's name. Megumi sighed, stepping over and laying a hand on Sōma's shoulder. She realized that he felt clammy and cold; a stark contrast to the warmth that she remembered.

"I'll see you later, Sōma-kun." she said, giving him a hug around his shoulders. She wasn't surprised, but also wasn't happy, when he didn't deign to return it. Only after she'd left and the door had closed behind her did Sōma draw in one rattling breath before curling up, his hands around his knees. No one was there to comment on the tear tracks that began running down his face.

* * *

Alice stood in the kitchen, humming softly to herself as she stirred a pot of rice. She could've had one of the servants prepare dinner for her, she wasn't nearly as picky as her cousin, but she needed the distraction. It helped her forget how helpless she felt about Sōma's condition.

She'd spoken to Megumi briefly after seeing Erina storm out of the mansion without a word to her. She knew that they'd had just as much luck as she had with getting Sōma to open up, and she'd resigned herself to yet another night spent in silence. Despite her resignation though, she couldn't help thinking about the red head and what had happened. It was such an extraordinary situation, in so many ways, that she really didn't have the slightest idea on how to begin helping him.

Alice was so focused on pondering the situation that she didn't even notice the person walking up behind her until they began speaking, practically at her elbows.

"What ya making Snowflake-chan?"

Alice's stirring slowed before pausing completely. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes before opening them and turning to face her unwanted guest.

"I thought I told you that you weren't welcome here. Shall I give you another black eye to join the first one?"

Rindō smiled cheekily, waving a small white flag that she'd clearly made herself.

"Relax, I come in peace. I just want to speak with Sōma-kun. I hear he's giving you all the silent treatment."

Alice glowered at the older girl but Rindō considered it a win that she didn't attack her on sight.

"And just what would you be able to do that I can't, Rindō-senpai?"

Rindō smiled lasciviously, blinking slowly at the other girl.

"Other than the obvious, I believe I know a bit more about the situation than you do. After all, I'm the one who helped put him back together the first time."

"The first time?" asked Alice, quirking an eyebrow. "The way Sōma tells it, you're half the reason he was like that in the first place."

Rindō shrugged, not bothering to deny the accusation.

"I work with what I've got. It's all I've ever done. And trust me when I say that, were it not for me, Sōma would be much worse off."

"Oh trust me, I know that. Otherwise I wouldn't be entertaining this conversation in the first place. Come, this way."

Alice turned off the stove before marching off, not looking back to see if the other girl was following. After a few turns and hallways, they arrived before Sōma's door. Alice didn't even bother with knocking; she simply opened the door and gestured for Rindō to go inside before following after her and closing the door.

Rindō looked back at where Alice was leaning against the doorframe with a frown.

"If it wouldn't be a problem, I'd prefer to be alone with him."

Alice's deadpan expression made it clear that this would, in fact, be a problem. Rindō debated whether she should argue but decided against it. She knew she was on thin ice as it was. She turned to face Sōma, walking over to where he sat in the bed. She ran a hand through his hair, frowning slightly at the limp, dull quality of it while ignoring the glare she could feel Alice giving her.

"Sōma-kun, Sōma-kun, Sōma-kun…it's always one thing or the other with you, isn't it? Now, let's see."

Rindō snapped her fingers in front of his face to catch his attention, before guiding her index finger back and forth before his nose. She noted how his eyes followed the motion easily, if a little wearily.

"So you're fully conscious. That's a plus. Now the issue is you've just gone all robot on us. You're clearly cognizant and understanding our words. But, for one reason or another, you're either unable to speak. Or you're purposefully not speaking."

"That's not quite true." interjected Alice. "Occasionally, he'll give one or two word responses. But they're rarely of much help."

"So he's not completely silent then? That's good." said Rindō thoughtfully. She hummed and tapped Sōma gently on the cheek, attracting his attention.

"Just what's going on in your head, Sōma-kun?"

He didn't answer. Instead choosing to simply lean back into his headboard and away from her. Rindō's mouth twisted momentarily but she didn't let any other sign of her irritation show. It wasn't too long ago that Sōma cherished her touch, in whatever state he was in. To say things had changed would be an understatement.

"So what's the verdict, senpai?" asked Alice, clearly more than willing to hurry the older girl along. Rindō rolled her eyes at the somewhat childish display before replying.

"I have good news and bad news, what would you like to hear first?"

Alice huffed, a glare her only response. Rindō pouted.

"Aww, you're no fun. Anyway. The bad news is that I don't think I can be of any help here."

"So you're telling me I put up with you for nothing?" cut in Alice, almost scathingly. Rindō gave the girl a flat look, far from intimidated.

"Hold your horses, Snowflake-chan. That was the bad news. If you'd been kind enough to let me finish, I would've been able to tell you that the good news is I think I know a guy who can help. I'll just need to give him a call and see if he's willing to assist."

"Why wouldn't he be?" asked Alice curiously. "Is it a question of payment? I assure you that I'd have no trouble making it worth his time."

"It's not that. Money isn't really an issue for him, trust me. It's more of an idiosyncrasy of his. If he's free, he's free. And if he's not, he's not. It's as simple as that. "

Rindō thumbed her phone display, placing the device to her ear as she listened to it ring. After a few rings, she perked up.

"Hey, you busy?"

A pause.

"Oh, I see. Well, ditch that for a while. I need you to come over to the Nakiri mansion ASAP. It's important."

Another pause. Rindō rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No, no, no! Listen to me; that can wait. I…yes, I know…yes, I understand. But listen! I need you to come over and see if you can take a swing at fixing Sōma's noggin for me…no. I didn't break it."

"Not this time anyway." Alice voiced, making no effort to keep her voice quiet.

"Shush you." bit out Rindō, glaring at her, before going back to her phone call.

"The sooner, the better. Who's to say what he'll be like tomorrow? Or the day after? Based on what I'm seeing here, you may be able to offer some insight. That's all I'm asking."

Rindō listened to the tinny voice coming through her phone. She grimaced.

"Ok…ok. Fine. How about this? You come here and I'll come over there and handle things while you're gone…yes I will…no I won't just blow it off this time, promise. What, don't you trust me? Ok, fair enough, you probably shouldn't but I swear, I'm not yanking your chain, no pun intended…yes, it's that serious…alright. Thank you. I'll be right there."

Rindō hung up and sighed wearily. She glared at Sōma, who had turned midway through her phone conversation to watch her.

"You better be thankful, Yukihira. I wouldn't do this for just anyone."

"Do what?" asked Alice.

Rindō glanced over at Alice, weighing her with her yellow gaze.

"Well. Thanks to this little headache over here, I now have to go and do some work that I've been putting off for quite some time. It was the only way to get Tsukasa to come over on such short notice."

"Tsukasa-senpai is the person who you think can help Sōma?" asked Alice in surprise. She thought back to the last time she'd been in contact with the first seat. It had been in one of their "Central Approved" classes. He'd shown them some of the finer aspects of Spanish cuisine but had clammed up midway through because the student assisting him had spilled a dash of sauce onto his sleeve. Alice's overall impression of him, cooking skill aside, was not one of competence.

"Are you…certain he would be able to help?"

"To be honest, things are anything but certain when it comes to Sōma-kun. But I think, out of all of us, Tsukasa may have the best chance of getting somewhere." said Rindō, giving Sōma's hair one last affectionate ruffle before heading towards the door. "He should be here soon. Meanwhile I'll have to head out and get started on fulfilling my end of the bargain."

"Alright, I suppose. I still don't see what he'd be able to accomplish. He and Sōma-kun aren't very well acquainted after all."

"That shouldn't matter. Tsukasa may be a little neurotic but he's the man for the job, trust me."

* * *

Tsukasa tilted his head at Sōma from where he sat beside the bed. He didn't say anything, aside from a soft hum to himself every now and then. Sōma hadn't spoken in greeting but his eyes had followed Tsukasa interestedly since he'd entered the room. Time continued to tick by as the white haired boy simply kept staring at Sōma, as if trying to help fix him through looks alone.

The older boy was dressed in his full Tōtsuki uniform. The only piece of clothing out of place was the red and black tie that he had draped over his shoulders. His white eyes were locked onto Sōma's still form and he seemed content to just sit and watch.

It was only several minutes later that the silence was finally broken. But by Sōma, this time.

"Why."

Tsukasa's eyebrows rose interestedly.

"Why what, Yukihira-kun? Why am I here? Or why was I sitting here in silence this whole time, perhaps?"

Sōma nodded slightly, his head barely shifting at all but Tsukasa's sharp eyes had caught the movement anyway.

"Well, I was simply testing a theory, one I hope you can confirm for me."

Tsukasa leaned forward, ensuring that Sōma's eyes were locked with his.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that not only do you want to speak, but you also want to do other things. Maybe move around, take a shower, read a book, cook a dish. But there's a part of you; an entirely separate part that also has wishes and desires. And these are constantly clashing with your own. So more often than not, you can't do anything. You're left to listlessly go on with your life. Am I on the right track?"

With each word, Sōma's eyes had widened until he was staring in undisguised shock at the senior student. Tsukasa smiled pleasantly at the expression on Sōma's face. He reached over and took a piece of paper from Sōma's desk along with a pen before holding it outwards.

"I'll take that as a yes. So these two parts of you, let's call them Yuki and Hira, are currently at odds."

Tsukasa drew a large circle before drawing a line down the middle. He drew little circles around the dividing line, the shape of a chain taking form on the page.

They're two distinct personalities that both, at one time, were a single sense of self; a single Yukihira. Now, things have changed. You don't have your shackles to keep the distinction between Yuki and Hira separate any longer."

Tsukasa scratched out the previously doodled chain,

"Now Yuki has things it wants to do while Hira has things it wants to do. Whereas before, they could essentially swap back and forth with ease with your chain, almost like a pilot and co-pilot switching seats, they no longer have that luxury. They're both trying to share the driver's seat and that means that a whole lot of nothing is getting done."

Tsukasa drew a chair and drew two figures onto it, highlighting how difficult it was for them both to fit in the seat.

"Of course, you're still you in the end, Yukihira-kun. That hasn't changed. So, to have split yourself to the point of having two distinct sides, that must mean that Yuki and Hira are fundamentally opposed to each other in several ways. Which is what's leading to the deadlock I described before. Yuki may want to go brush your teeth while Hira may want to take a long bath. But they can't do both at once, so they end up just struggling for control and getting nothing done. And I'd wager that lack of control is scaring the hell out of both sides of you."

This time Sōma's nod was immediate and lacking any subtlety.

"See, there? That was a forward, distinct motion. That's because both of your sides were in agreement just now, even if it was just for half a second. Both of them wanted to nod because they both have that same fear; that fear of losing control and never getting it back. Things like using the bathroom and eating are beneficial to you both; they're not complex and both of you find it easy to agree on needing to fulfil those needs."

Tsukasa flipped the paper over and drew two large circles, their edges overlapping and forming a small oval in the middle. Labelling one circle 'Yuki' and the other circle 'Hira', he went on and shaded the oval that formed at the intersection, pointing at it with the tip of his pen.

"Actions that fit inside this intersection are taken and done with little effort or complaint. It's everything else that's not. And it's because neither side feels comfortable giving up the driver's seat. You literally don't trust yourself."

"Of course…I don't…can't."

"And therein lies the problem." said Tsukasa conclusively. "I had a similar issue some time ago, although mine wasn't nearly as bad as yours appears to be. But the stuttering, the dropping utensils, the tripping down as my legs tried to go in separate directions…it was inconvenient to say the least."

Sōma looked at Tsukasa in surprise, the question clear in his golden orbs. Tsukasa chuckled.

"What, you didn't think you were the first person Rindō-chan tried to play psychologist with, did you? Nope, it was I that had that honour, way back in middle school. She taught me how to bury myself under a persona of my own making; a more controlled, confident side that could handle things that I couldn't on my own. For you, Yukihira Sōma, your shackles were made of iron. Mine were made out of fabric."

Tsukasa held up the red and black fabric in question, his school tie. He looked down at it, almost fondly, as he threaded it through his fingers.

"She helped bring out my potential and played a big part in moulding me into what I am today, but that didn't come without cost. After some time under her ministrations, I, too, started to splinter, pneumonic device or no. There was the timid, obsessive side of my personality that trembled at the thought of simple public speaking and then there was the strong, cool and selfish side of me that could face down a room full of the culinary world's finest and tell them why they were all idiots."

Tsukasa laughed softly to himself at the memory; it had been quite a surprise for those in attendance that day. Few had rarely seen the White Knight of the Table so merciless.

"But soon, my two halves started clashing more and more. They'd grown too much as two separate parts; become too distinct. There was no 'real' Tsukasa and 'fake' Tsukasa anymore. There was simply two halves of the same whole that had no idea how to get along in the same head."

"So what did you do?" asked Sōma quietly. This time Tsukasa was the one looking at him in surprise.

"A complete sentence, my. That's a good sign. And, well, what I did was simple, although I would hesitate to call it easy. One side simply had to surrender control to the other. How you would go about doing that exactly is something for you to figure out for yourself, Yukihira-kun. But the first step you need to take is for one of you to step down and let the other have control. Take it slow; start with simple tasks like cooking a meal. Or having a conversation with someone."

Tsukasa drew another pair of circles, but this time the intersection was even larger. He drew an arrow connecting his previous circles to the new pair.

"And then quid pro quo. If Yuki lets Hira step up to cook dinner, than Hira should let Yuki enjoy the meal and talk with those at the table. If Yuki goes to class in the morning, then Hira can go to class in the afternoon. Start off with swapping little tasks, and always ensure there's a clear, defined end to each session of complete control, for both your sakes. Once you've both gotten used to trusting each other again, and realizing that, for all your differences, you're still the same person, then you can start changing things up."

Tsukasa scribbled a few words into one circle and then a different set into another.

"Then, you can slowly adjust to situation based control sessions, as opposed to time based. To better fit your situation, much as you may have done when you had full, conscious control of your switching. Do you understand?"

Sōma nodded a bit hesitantly and looked down at his hands, which were trembling. Tsukasa placed a hand on the boy's shoulder comfortingly.

"It's a scary thought, I know, Yukihira-kun. And it's the first step on what could very well be a long road for you. But, if you ever want to get back to anything even resembling normal, you need to do this. Especially if you want to finish your mission, foolish as it may be."

The off color comment prompted Sōma to glare at Tsukasa, frowning. Tsukasa simply smiled once again in response.

"See? You two are agreeing more and more already. I believe my work here is done."

Tsukasa got to his feet, folding up the demonstrative piece of paper and resting it on the desk. He went to reach into his jacket but Sōma's voice gave him pause.

"Why…why are you helping us?"

Tsukasa tapped his chin in thought before looking over his shoulder at Sōma.

"Because Rindō-chan asked. And she offered to do paperwork in exchange for my help. Which is something she's never done before. You're important to her, Yukihira Sōma. So you're somewhat important to me too, by extension."

"No. She…she doesn't care about anyone. Except for h-herself."

Tsukasa frowned, turning to fix Sōma with a stern glare.

"Rindō-chan isn't the warmest of people, I know. But she's not completely heartless. She's simply very good at burying it under her own selfish desires and she loves to manipulate people. It's second nature to her, as natural as breathing. So you have to read between the lines when you're trying to figure out what she's doing."

Tsukasa reached into his jacket, pulling out a manila folder that he tossed onto the bed in front of Sōma.

"For example, she made it very clear that I should give you that folder once I was done speaking with you."

Sōma picked up the file, flicking it open and looking at its contents.

 _Elite Ten Placement Details_

He glanced up at Tsukasa, challengingly.

"Strings? Conditions?"

"There are none." said Tsukasa simply. "Call it a peace offering, or an apology or whatever you like, really. But Rindō gives this to you freely, of that you can be certain. That doesn't sound like someone who only cares about themselves."

Tsukasa turned back to head towards the door, his task completed. Before he could fully exit, Sōma's voice stopped him one last time.

"Thank you, Tsukasa-senpai."

"It is not me you should be thanking, Yukihira-kun. If I had my way, I would've still been in the kitchen working on my venison dish. But I'm nothing if not a loyal friend. Good day."

And with that, the first seat left, leaving Sōma with steps to take and decisions to make.

* * *

Megumi knocked on Erina's door hesitantly.

"Erina-chan…may I come in?"

She waited patiently until, after almost a minute, she got a response.

"Sure."

Megumi opened the door to find Erina huddled on her bed in her night gown. The room lights were off and she was clutching a pillow to her chest, her face buried in it.

"Erina-chan, are you okay?"

The blonde glanced up at her friend, her eyes suspiciously red.

"Yes…no. No, I'm not okay. I'm sorry, Megumi-chan."

Megumi walked forward and seated herself on the bed beside Erina. She leaned, shoulder to shoulder with the other girl, hoping she would take the gesture of comfort for what it was.

"What's wrong, Erina-chan? Is this about what happened earlier with Sōma-kun?"

Erina didn't respond at first but then she sniffed, rubbing at her eyes as she began to speak.

"I just…I just got so mad. We've been through so much just to speak with him. So much. And at every turn, he refuses us. Refuses our help. Instead he gets help from pretty much anyone BUT us. Alice, Kurokiba-kun, Hayama-kun. I even suspect that Mito-chan is working with him, have you noticed how absent she's been lately?"

"And why does that bother you so much, Erina-chan?" asked Megumi.

"I don't know…it's just…Yukihira-kun's done so much for me. He gave me a second chance; he introduced me to all of you. He made it possible for you and I to get close and I…I just…"

Erina's eyes began to tear up again.

"He said 'You', Megumi-chan. We asked him what made him do all of this and he said it was me. I'm the reason this is all happening. And I just…I couldn't take it. I'd only just started forgiving myself and allowing myself to be happy for what I have at Polar Star and he just goes and wipes all that away in one word. And then doesn't even have the decency to explain himself."

Erina drew in a long, shuddering breath as tears began to flow down her eyes.

"I'm the reason Sōma-kun's the way he is and I don't even know why. It's what happened with you all over again except this time, I don't know how to fix it. Because he won't let me in. And it just…I'm so sick of feeling helpless!"

The sudden exclamation caught Megumi off guard but she didn't flinch outwardly. She just continued to be there for her friend.

"I'm sick of everyone bending over backwards for me. I'm sick of being unable to do anything for myself. And so when Sōma-kun all but accused me of being at fault…I just snapped. It wasn't right and I should've held myself in check better. I'm sorry."

Megumi reached her arm around Erina and hugged the girl to herself. Erina leaned into the smaller girl's shoulder, finding comfort in the warmth and companionship that Megumi seemed to exemplify and radiate without even trying.

"I couldn't handle the thought of being the reason Sōma-kun threw all of us away. I didn't want to accept the fact that maybe, just maybe, you were right. And that I'm the reason you lost your best friend. I'm not worth it."

A slap rang out. Erina held her cheek in disbelief, in shock more than pain, her head flung to the side. She turned back to face Megumi, who was glaring at Erina, her eyes bright with anger.

"Don't say that. Don't you dare! You don't get to belittle yourself; you don't get to devalue yourself and what you mean to all of us. What you mean to me!" shouted Megumi angrily. She gripped Erina's shoulders tightly.

"You're special, Erina-chan. You're very special to me. And you ARE worth it. You'll always be worth it. "

Megumi's hands slipped down to grasp Erina's and she squeezed, trying to convey more than just her words to the other girl.

"Do you have any idea how important you are to me, Erina-chan?" she asked softly. Earnestly. "Do you know how happy I am that I got a chance to get to know you? To be your friend? I don't think I could imagine what my life would be like without you in it anymore."

Erina looked back at Megumi, her mouth dry. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest and she could feel the blood rushing to her face. The warmth coming from Megumi's hands was different, this time. It was something more; it made Erina feel as if every single word Megumi said was true. Complete and utter fact. It made her feel special.

It made her feel wanted.

It…it made her feel loved.

And it made her realize something that she'd known for all too long.

"I love you, Megumi."

Erina's words caused Megumi to freeze. Her hands slipped from Erina's as she stared back at the blonde in complete and utter shock. Erina's face was a bright, cherry red and her hands were shaking. She hugged them to herself, resisting the urge to turn away in embarrassment. Instead she kept looking straight into Megumi's eyes, trying to convey the sincerity of her words through them.

She swallowed and waited as she watched a tapestry of emotions flicker across the blue haired girl's face. Finally, after several seconds, Megumi's face settled into embarrassed confusion. She crossed her arms and looked away from the other girl.

"W-w-what do you mean, Erina-chan?"

Erina swallowed again, trying and failing to calm her heartbeat down. She wondered if Megumi could hear it from where she sat considering how loudly it was thumping against her chest.

"I'm not sure when, or how or why. But I…I love you. I'm IN love with you, Megumi-chan."

"With me?!" asked Megumi incredulously, as if she couldn't believe what the other girl was saying. "Are…are you sure?"

"Yes."

Erina's answer was simple and resolute, for all that her voice shook in embarrassment. She went to take Megumi's hands and was happy when the girl allowed her to. She'd been afraid that she would pull away entirely.

"I'm not very…um that is, when it comes to things like this. I know I'm not the best with words. Or feelings. And I've never really been in love before. But I know how I feel. For you. You're more than just special to me, Megumi-chan."

"Erina-chan…I don't know what to say." said Megumi cautiously.

"To be honest, I'm not even sure what I want you to say." admitted Erina. "So just…be honest with me. And with yourself. And speak from your heart. I've never known anyone who's better at that than you are, Megumi-chan."

Megumi looked at Erina, her face blushing at the compliment. She looked down at their joined hands and squeezed; smiling when she felt Erina squeeze back. She looked up at Erina's face, at her vulnerable purple eyes, and opened her mouth.

"I never thought my first confession would be from a girl. And I never thought that I'd feel this strongly about it, either."

Erina blinked in response, thrown by the non sequitur. Megumi smiled brightly at Erina's confused expression.

"You know we'd be the most scandalous couple at Tōtsuki, right?"

Erina still felt confused and her face more than showed it. Megumi laughed, threading their fingers together.

"Our friends would badger us with endless questions; especially the guys. Can you imagine Isshiki-senpai's reaction alone?"

Erina was now one of guarded confusion. Which only made Megumi smile even wider.

"Megumi-chan…what exactly are you saying? I'm afraid I'm missing something."

Megumi leaned forward, almost nose to nose with Erina. They both blushed brightly at the proximity although Megumi's smile didn't fade in the slightest.

"I'm saying that, for all that I'm taken aback and surprised...I love you too, Nakiri Erina."

Erina's heart stopped. Or at least she thought it must've, considering that she couldn't hear it anymore. She stared back into Megumi's bright, golden eyes. For all her confidence and forwardness, she still found herself surprised at the other girl's response. Pleasantly surprised, of course, but still surprised. Once she'd finally come to grips with the fact that Megumi had responded positively, she had no idea how to proceed.

So she did what came naturally.

Erina leaned forward, her lips meeting Megumi's in a soft, warm kiss. It lasted for several seconds and Erina would remember them as some of the warmest, most cherished seconds of her life. Years from now, she was sure that she would look back on this moment with fondness as the beginning of something new; something beautiful.

When she pulled back, the smile on her face was just as bright as Megumi's. As was the blushes they were both sporting. Erina opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted by her phone beeping in a wind chime-like pattern; her personal text tone. She picked it up and went to turn it off but that was before she glimpsed the name on the screen.

"Yukihira-kun?"

The text on the screen was short and straightforward; one sentence.

 _I'm ready to give you the answers you want._

* * *

 **A/N: Apologies for my lateness, ladies and gents. It's been a crazy week. And I didn't help make it any less crazy by getting hammered on Thursday AND Friday. Suffice to say I spent most of Saturday doing my best to drown myself in water and not die.**

 **Also, for a bit of extra fun (and also because this story is very long, with more than a few unresolved plot points so far) I would like you to review and tell me what questions you would ask Sōma if you were in Erina and Megumi's position. I already have several that I'm planning to answer but I also want to hear back from my audience to see if there's any issues I have forgotten to include. So review and let me know!**

 **And, assuming I get at least three reviews on this chapter, I will officially have the most reviewed story in the Shokugeki no Soma fandom. Thanks in advance to all of you, I literally couldn't have done it without you guys. Expect more gushing next chapter, have a great week!**


	20. Chapter 19

Erina stared down at her phone in disbelief; just hours ago, Sōma had been borderline mute. And less than helpful. Now, suddenly, he was willing to be forthcoming?

"Megumi-chan, look."

Megumi blinked up at Erina, her blush fading as she read the text. She gasped.

"Sōma-kun…do you think he's serious?"

"If not, it would be a joke that's in incredibly poor taste." said Erina, glaring down at her phone as if she could convey her irritation to the boy through it. And then she realized, belatedly, that she could.

 _Yukihira-kun, is that offer sincere? You didn't seem well earlier this afternoon._

Both girls stared at the screen, anxiously waiting for a response. They didn't need to wait long.

 _It is. You earned an explanation and I will do my best to give you one._

Erina thought for a moment. This was…odd. While she didn't expect Sōma to go back on their agreement, considering his respect for the shokugeki and its tenets, she also didn't expect him to be this forward and forthcoming. She thought that getting the answers she wanted would be like pulling teeth, considering how reticent he'd been before.

 _And you will answer all of our questions in full and with honesty, correct?_

 _Those were the terms right? I'll honor them. I assure you of that, Erina._

Erina frowned. That was easy for him to say. And also when did he start simply calling her Erina?

 _Why do you persist in doing that Yukihira-kun?_

 _Pardon?_

 _This isn't the first time you've referred to me so informally._

The response to the last text message took almost a full minute.

 _I suppose it isn't._

Erina was frustrated at the vague response but resolved to simply add it to the list of questions she had for him. She had several; it wouldn't hurt to add one more.

She slipped her phone into her pocket and turned back to face Megumi, who was looking at her somewhat hesitantly, with a bright red face. She wondered why that was before suddenly recalling just what had happened before Yukihira's ill-timed text message. She swallowed, doing her best to try and keep her composure.

The audible thumping in her chest and warmth in her face told her she utterly failed. She licked her lips, which suddenly seemed very dry, before opening her mouth to speak.

"Megumi-chan, I-"

"Well, Erina-chan-"

They paused as each of them spoke at the same time, cutting the other off. Megumi laughed awkwardly.

"S-Sorry, Erina-chan. You first."

"No, that's quite alright. You can speak, Megumi-chan."

"No, no, I insist."

"A-As do I."

Silence fell over the two as they stumbled over their words, suddenly unsure of what to say. Erina found herself at a loss now that her initial burst of courage had faded. She didn't know the first thing about being in a relationship, let alone with another girl! And that's what this was, right? Megumi HAD said they would make a "scandalous" couple, after all. So they were…together now, right? They'd even kissed!

Erina blushed even brighter at the thought, her hands shaking as nervousness began to take hold. What should she say? What should she do? Should she thank Megumi or would that come off as simpering? Or should she simply go on and act as she always did? But that didn't make sense, things had changed, right?

Erina felt warm hands take hers, in a comforting grip she recognized.

"Erina-chan."

Megumi traced a small character into Erina's palm. It wasn't the character for 'man' that Megumi used for herself. This was a different character; one that Erina had chosen at Megumi's urging. It was a simple, straightforward character.

Self.

Erina felt her mind easing and her nerves calming at the comforting sign. She smiled at Megumi, who returned it with one that was just as warm.

"Nervous?"

Erina sighed although her smile didn't fade.

"Quite." she admitted. "I'm afraid that for all of my education and pedigree, this is one particular area in which I'm almost completely clueless."

The heiress' tone was grudging, as if it almost physically hurt to admit that there was something she didn't know. It reminded Megumi of how she'd been when she'd first arrived at Polar Star. There was so much that she was ignorant about in those days.

"I'm not exactly the most experienced myself." said Megumi, shrugging lightly. "It's not exactly something I advertise, after all."

"Something you advertise?" asked Erina curiously.

"You know. My…um…preferences." said Megumi, averting her eyes from Erina's and blushing brightly.

Erina looked at Megumi in confusion before finally connecting the dots.

"Oh. I…I see. That's understandable, I suppose." she said quietly.

The conversation paused as another awkward silence threatened to take hold.

"What about you?" asked Megumi, finally giving in to her curiosity. Erina tilted her head at the blue haired girl.

"What about me, what?" she asked.

"Well, it's just…I never would've thought that you were…you know…I didn't really see any indication that you were…playing for the other team, so to speak?"

"Other team? Is that a sports reference?" asked Erina, more confused than ever.

"Of a sort, I guess. It's just…you've lived with us for months now. And I never got the slightest hint that you were…" Megumi trailed off, looking away.

"That I was what?" asked Erina

"That you liked girls." said Megumi, sighing as if she'd finally gotten her tongue around a difficult word.

Erina looked away embarrassedly at Megumi's straightforwardness, clearing her throat before she began speaking.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm just as surprised as you are Megumi-chan."

Megumi blinked. And then blinked again. And then blinked a third time.

"Um…now I'm confused, Erina-chan."

"It's not very complicated. I've just never really thought about anyone in that light before, be they a boy or a girl. I've never had the slightest urge to connect with someone the way I want to connect with you. You are my first…crush, I suppose." said Erina, looking back at Megumi, wondering if she looked as vulnerable as she felt.

Megumi blinked again, wondering if she was properly understanding what the other girl was telling her.

"So wait…you're saying you've never had a crush or romantic interest in anyone before ME?"

Erina nodded, smiling softly.

"Yes. That's exactly what I'm saying."

Erina didn't realize just how odd something like that was. She also didn't realize just how much pressure she'd inadvertently placed on Megumi as she thought about what exactly it meant to be someone's first love, let alone someone like Erina. Someone who deserved the best that love in all its forms could give and had already been hurt in the past. Someone who was amazing, smart, talented and a hundred and one things that Megumi was sure she wasn't.

The interaction between the two of them would be Erina's first. It would shape how the heiress looked at love and romance for quite possibly the rest of her life.

"Megumi-chan….are you alright?"

The soft hand Erina placed on Megumi's forehead was the final straw and the last thing Megumi saw before complete darkness was Erina's concerned face.

* * *

"So she just…fainted?" asked Yuki. She was sitting in Erina's bed with Megumi's head in her lap. Erina had called her through the pipes of the building once Megumi had first collapsed. She was fanning Megumi's face with a paper fan that had a cartoon of Erina's face on it.

Erina nodded from where she was standing over the bed, wringing her hands nervously as she looked down at Megumi's unconscious form.

"Yes, I'm not sure why. We were…conversing and she suddenly started to look a bit dizzy. I tried to ask her what was wrong but then she just fell."

"That's weird. Megumi-chan hasn't had a good fainting spell in a while." said Yuki, pinching the unconscious girl's cheek. "She used to faint a lot in middle school; usually because she felt stressed or pressured. Did you say anything that could cause something like that Erina-chii?"

Erina opened her mouth but then snapped it shut as she thought of just what they'd been discussing.

"Erina-chii…why are you blushing?"

"T-That's not important, Yuki-chan! I'm afraid Megumi-chan and I were discussing a private matter." said Erina, looking away and folding her arms.

Erina's odd reaction set off alarm bells in Yuki's head and she leaned forward, squinting at the embarrassed girl.

"Erina-chii?"

Erina turned her back on Yuki completely, more to hide her completely red face from the other girl than anything else.

"Can we just please focus on Megumi-chan?"

"Sure, sure…" said Yuki teasingly. "Do you have any raw peppers, the spicier the better? And a napkin?"

Erina nodded and stepped over to the small kitchenette that was standard for most Polar Star rooms, rummaging briefly before turning to place a small red vegetable into Yuki's hand.

"This is a little trick Isshiki-senpai showed us after Megumi-chan fainted in class for like the third time. All you do is put the pepper in the napkin, crush it up a bit, let the juices mingle and…"

She placed the crumpled paper beneath Megumi's nose, opening it slowly. At first, nothing happened but then Megumi's nose started to twitch and she groaned, opening her eyes.

"Megumi-chan!" said Erina, kneeling down beside the bed and smiling at her awakened friend. Megumi looked back at Erina groggily, blinking slowly.

"Erina-chan. Yuki-chan? What happened…?"

"You passed out. And to think you almost made it the whole year without fainting, what a shame Megumi-chan." said Yuki, giggling. Megumi still seemed to be struggling to process what was going on.

"I…passed out?" asked Megumi.

"Yes, Megumi-chan. We were having a discussion and I suppose it may have made you feel somewhat uncomfortable." said Erina, doing her best to resist the urge to fidget.

Megumi stared at Erina as she started to recall just what they'd been discussing. The blush that started to creep up her face caused Yuki to pounce.

"And just what were you two talking about that would have you turning so red, Megumi-chan? It wasn't something perverted, was it?" she asked, grinning wickedly at the girl in her lap.

"Eh? EH?!" was Megumi's response as she shot up, as if Yuki's lap had burned her. She started shaking as she looked anywhere but at the grinning, bun haired girl.

"N-n-no. That is, w-well you see…I-I-I was t-telling Erina-chan that…that…"

"That she was happy that Yukihira-kun seemed to be doing better." interjected Erina smoothly. She held up the phone screen to show Yuki the brief text conversation. Her eyes ran over the scree with interest.

"Oh really, that's wonderful!" gushed Yuki, clapping. She almost bounced with excitement. "We were all so worried about Sōma-kun, I'm glad to hear he's doing better, can we go see him?"

"I don't think that would be a good idea. At least for right now." said Erina carefully. Both because she wanted answers sooner rather than later and because she wasn't fully certain of Sōma's condition. A few simple text messages didn't mean that he was back to normal, for all that he claimed to be ready to meet with them. "I've arranged for Megumi-chan and I to meet with him tomorrow afternoon. After that, I'm hoping he'll be open to more visitors."

"Oh." said Yuki, dejected. She hadn't so much as spoken with Sōma since his dramatic return to Tōtsuki almost two months ago. It was more than a little disappointing to have her first real chance so firmly stonewalled.

"But we'll be sure that you're one of the first ones there if he's up for more visitors, Yuki-chan." said Megumi hastily. Almost instantly Yuki's expression reversed and she clapped once more.

"Awesome! I'll let Shun-kun know as well, thank you so much Megumi-chan!"

Yuki hopped to her feet, all but skipping to the door. She opened it and exited but not before peeking her head back in with a lascivious grin.

"And don't think this means I've forgotten about whatever perverted secret you two are hiding!"

Yuki shut the door, ignoring the sputtered denials from both girls. Erina stared at the door, mortified at her classmate's brazen attitude.

"It's not perverted."

Erina turned to Megumi, who almost seemed as if she didn't realize she'd spoken.

"The way I am…the way I _feel_ , there's nothing wrong with that. It's not perverted in the least. It's natural, beautiful even."

The blue haired girl didn't look like she was talking to Erina. Both her eyes and her mind appeared to be very far away, Erina placed her hand on Megumi's shoulder, shaking her gently.

"Megumi-chan, what are you talking about?"

Megumi blinked, her eyes coming back into focus as she looked at Erina. Her expression was a cross between sadness and frustration.

"Oh…sorry, it's just something Yuki-chan said. It brought up some bad memories…" she said, looking away. Erina squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"Would you like to talk about it?" she asked gently. Megumi looked conflicted, biting her lip as she looked away.

"No…but I think I should. I think it's something you deserve to know."

Megumi sighed, holding her hands to her chest.

"You know I come from a small town in Tōhoku, right?"

Erina nodded, slipping her hand down Megumi's arm to take her hand. Megumi gave her a small smile in response.

"Things are very traditional there. We pay homage to the spirits, we observe all of the old holidays and marriage is more of an eventuality than anything else. And, more importantly, it's something to be done between a man and a woman. I was raised to believe that, one day, I would meet a man to fall in love with that would become my husband. And I would settle down with him, make a family and be a good wife and mother."

Megumi's smile faded as she thought back to a time long past.

"I didn't realize I liked girls until I was in my last year of elementary school. I couldn't stop thinking about this girl in my class; she was pretty plain but she was always really nice to me, even though I wouldn't exactly call us friends. I found myself thinking about her all the time; her hair, her eyes, her voice. And I couldn't really understand why. Until I realized that I sounded exactly like the rest of my friends. It's just that my crush happened to be a girl. It took me months to come to grips with that fact and even more months to work up the courage to confess to her."

Megumi fell silent and Erina could tell by the look on her face that, whatever had happened, hadn't gone well.

"I was an idiot. I made her this really nice bento box and invited her to lunch with me. I told her how I felt about her and she…wasn't happy. She was disgusted. She told me that I was sick; that what I felt was improper and perverted. Dirty. Immoral. Wrong."

Megumi's eyes misted as she thought back to those cruel words.

"I apologized and I begged her not to tell anyone else about what I'd done. And things were fine for a few more weeks. But then…I'm not sure what exactly happened. But she told someone and then the whole town knew, practically overnight."

Megumi closed her eyes, wiping at them with the heel of her free hand.

"I thought my mom would be furious; that she would disown me or kick me out of the house for being some freak. But she didn't do any of those things. Instead she simply said she loved me and that, when the time came, she was sure that the wife I found would be just as pretty as I was. And I was relieved; so relieved. I'd only barely accepted myself and I don't know where I would have ended up without her support. She was always the one pushing me to be comfortable with who I was, no matter what, even when the rest of the world was pointing fingers at me. She was the one that told me that love, no matter its form, was a beautiful thing and should be cherished and protected."

Megumi opened her eyes, her tears a distant memory. She smiled brightly as she remembered the time she spent with her mother and she held a hand to her chest.

"These feelings that I have in my heart Erina; there's nothing wrong with them. I know that now; and the thought of someone trying to call them wrong or perverted just…it makes me remember a time when I really did feel wrong and dirty for feeling the way I did. And I don't ever want to go back there."

"You won't have to." said Erina, smiling confidently at the other girl. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

She gripped Megumi's hand and leaned forwards, trying to convey her earnestness to the other girl.

"I promise you that, Megumi-chan."

Megumi felt her heart beat faster in response to Erina's sincerity and she looked away, blushing.

"E-Erina-chan…may I ask you a question?"

"Of course, anything." replied Erina almost instantly. Even before everything had changed between them, there'd been little the two girls had kept secret from each other.

"When did you…fall in love with me?" asked Megumi softly, unable to meet Erina's gaze as she blushed even brighter. Erina's cheeks were not spared either and she coughed lightly as she tried to focus on providing her answer instead of how warm her face felt.

"Well…do you mean when I realized I was in love with you? Or when I think I actually started to fall for you?"

Megumi's confusion was clear on her face.

" _Ano_ …there's a difference?"

"Well, yes! I've spoken with Shiomi-sensei at length about this particular phenomenon; it's a lot more common than you'd think! You may be in love with someone and not realize it until something brings your attention to it. And even then, you may continue to deny your feelings for one reason or another. It's possible to be in love with someone for years and not even know it." said Erina, her voice slipping into a sort of lecturing tone that she often adopted when discussing her and Jun's "research".

"And that's what happened with my feelings for you. I didn't realize how I felt until literally just a few moments ago. But, when you told me that I was special to you, that I'd become such an important part of your life, it…it all just clicked. That's when I knew that I was in love with you."

Erina thought she would've been embarrassed to be so open and so vulnerable but Megumi had always had that sort of effect on her. She'd always felt safe; as if she could share anything with her.

"But I think I started to fall for you long before that. As I look back on how I thought of you…I should've been able to realize it and tell you about it a long time ago. _Gomena_ -."

Erina's apology was cut short by an abrupt kiss from Megumi. It came with all of the same warm intensity that their first had come with and it left Erina blushing fiercely as she looked into her girlfriend's smiling face.

"That's one thing you never need to say sorry for, Erina-chan."

"Well…I w-won't then, I suppose." mumbled Erina, smiling softly.

* * *

"Alright Sōma-kun, are you ready?" asked Megumi determinedly. She held a notepad in her hands and was leaning forward from her place in the couch. Erina had her arms crossed and her legs folded primly, reclining back in the couch. She stared evenly at Sōma, who was seated before them on a large cushion.

Even though it had only been a day since they'd seen him, Sōma was already looking much healthier. His hair was more vibrant and the bags around his eyes had notably decreased. He also looked brighter and happier with a lazy smile plastered across his face as he reclined back onto the cushion. His entire bearing was simply relaxed and at ease. The difference was like night and day.

"Sure but, before we get started, can I ask a question of my own?"

His voice was light and airy, unconcerned. Megumi looked over at Erina, who nodded.

"That's acceptable. But make it brief, please." said Erina.

"Do either of you mind if Alice is present for this?" asked Sōma lightly, staring up at the ceiling. "I know she wasn't part of the original terms or anything but I'd really appreciate it if you let her sit in."

"Um…that's alright with me, I suppose. Erina-chan?"

"I don't have an issue with it. Alice is family. Although I'm curious as to why exactly you want her here as well."

Sōma sighed, scratching at his cheek.

"I don't know what you're gonna ask me but I have a few good guesses. So one way or the other, she'd need to hear this. And I wouldn't want to have to tell this sort of story more than once. That's all."

"Then it's a good thing I was planning to eavesdrop anyway, huh Sōma-kun?"

Sōma jumped, turning around to face the TV where Alice's face was leering out at them from the screen. She giggled at the confused expressions worn by the room's occupants.

"I had Ryo set up this little device for me. I wasn't planning to reveal myself quite yet but, since I'm welcome, I figured why not?"

Sōma shook his head in exasperation.

"You might as well come down then. The sooner you get here, the sooner we can start."

"I'll be there in a jiffy." said Alice, winking before the screen blacked out. Sōma smiled at the empty monitor.

"She's something, isn't she?" he said, with a tone that made it clear he didn't realize he'd spoken out loud.

"Yes. She certainly is." said Erina, looking closely at the expression on Sōma's face and what that indicated. She pulled a pen from her pocket and wrote something down onto her notepad.

"I must say Sōma-kun, you seem markedly different, all things considered. I haven't seen you like this in quite some time." said Erina, gesturing towards him with a sweep of her hand. She didn't mention just how nostalgic seeing Sōma so easygoing made her. It reminded her of how he used to be.

Sōma grinned in response, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, there's a reason for that but let's not get ahead of ourselves, huh? Alice will be here-"

"Hellooooo!" shouted Alice, throwing the doors to the room open.

"-is here." Sōma amended, smiling at her. She pulled another cushion to sit next to Sōma's, seating herself with more dignity than should've been possible in the soft, formless material. Sōma, in contrast, flopped back down into his original cushion, leaning into the material as if it could swallow him. He placed his hands behind his head, looking for all the world like he was on a beach as opposed to on the floor of a living room.

"Well, I think that's all we need. Shall we get started, ladies?"

"With pleasure." said Erina, her voice controlled despite the ball of nervousness and excitement that sat heavy in her stomach. Finally, after months of questions and secrets, she'd be able to get answers. She could hardly believe it; all of the work she and Megumi had done was about to pay off.

"First question. All those months ago, when my father came to Polar Star looking for me, why did you assault him?" asked Erina, placing a checkmark next to the first line of her notepad.

Sōma hummed, eyeing the ceiling as if it held the answers he needed.

"You word it so formally, like I'm some criminal. That's something that hasn't changed about you, Erina. It's kinda comforting." he laughed. "And, well, I punched out your dad because he pissed me off. Plain and simple."

"What exactly do you mean?" asked Erina, scribbling something down onto her notepad. "What about your exchange would've driven you to such anger? If what Isshiki-senpai told us is true, you could've only been talking for a few minutes at best."

"Well, in case you didn't notice, your dad's somewhat of a prick, Erina."

"Yukihira-kun! I would urge you to be more respectful." said Erina, glaring at the boy. "He's the director of our school. And my father."

"And a prick." chimed in Alice mischievously, ducking out of the way of the pencil Erina threw at her.

"Don't encourage him!" shouted Erina, a tick mark forming in her head. "Regardless of my father's attitude, attacking someone is never the answer. Besides, you've never been a particularly violent person, Yukihira-kun."

"That's not true." he interjected.

"It…it isn't?" asked Erina in surprise. While she hadn't spent as much time with Sōma as she could have, she'd been around both him and his friends enough to know that Sōma was easygoing and forgiving, almost to a fault. Throughout all of their trials at Tōtsuki, no one had seen Sōma so much as lose his temper, competitive streak aside.

"I had a life before Tōtsuki, you know. I had a pretty bad temper as a kid. Especially in middle school. I got into a ton of fights. I wasn't all that friendly back then and it didn't take much to set me off."

"Is that how you got that scar above your eyebrow?" asked Megumi curiously. Sōma quirked said eyebrow at her and ran his finger over it. His response was somewhat somber.

"Nah. I got this earlier than that, in an accident. I was nine years old."

The statement sounded oddly familiar to Alice and it took her a few seconds to remember just why that was.

 _She passed away when I was nine._

"Sōma-kun…"

Sōma glanced over at her. The expression in her eyes said it all and Sōma smiled sadly at her.

"Your memory's as good as ever, Alice. To answer your unspoken question, yes. It's related to that."

Alice didn't respond. At least not verbally. But her subsequent claiming of his left hand with her right meant more in that moment than words ever could.

"Excuse me, I'm afraid I'm a bit lost." cut in Erina, glancing between Sōma and Alice with interest. Their interaction had only served to raise more questions for her but, before she could write anything down, she felt a tug at her sleeve.

"Erina-chan, I don't think we should pry…" said Megumi cautiously. She'd seen the expression on Alice's face and she could only imagine that whatever they were talking about was deeply personal.

"No, it's fine. This would've come up one way or the other. It's actually related to why I was so mad at your dad, Erina." said Sōma with a sigh, sitting up. He felt Alice squeeze his hand firmly as she sat up as well, offering her silent support. Sōma began to speak.

* * *

" _Come on Sōma, table 4 has been waiting on its order for almost fifteen minutes now. Beef stew shouldn't take so long!" shouted Joichiro._

" _I'm trying, tou-san." said Sōma tiredly, wiping his forehead with the back of his wrist. He ladled a portion of the soup into a small tasting bowl, sipping at it. "Table 2 revised their order twice while I was trying to finish it. It took longer than it should've."_

" _That's because you're not prioritizing right. It's ridiculous to have customers waiting so long at a special of the day diner. Of all the days for Kumi to catch the flu." grunted Joichiro, arranging a platter with rice, meat and vegetables at almost inhuman speeds. But even he, with all his skill and experience, could only do so much at a time with a packed diner during the lunch rush of one of the busiest days they'd seen all year._

 _Sōma placed a serving tray on the counter and put several bowls onto it that he then began to fill with his beef stew. After counting out a few pairs of chopsticks, he picked up the large tray, grunting at the weight. Normally his dad would lift an order this heavy but he was pretty sure he could do it. Besides, Pops had enough to handle. He was filling out five orders for every one of his!_

 _Sōma stepped back and began to turn around, all of his concentration on keeping the bowls of stew balanced. He suddenly felt a jarring impact on his shoulder that made him stumble and trip. The bowls of beef stew went flying, shattering on the ground into shards of ceramic. Chunks of meat, vegetables and what must have been a collective half gallon of stew went flying across the kitchen floor._

" _Dammit Sōma!"_

 _Joichiro turned, furious, the platters of food in his hands not even disturbed by the bump, such was his coordination._

" _How many times do I have to tell you to pay attention in the kitchen?"_

 _Joichiro swept out of the kitchen, delivering orders to tables 1, 3 and 7 before returning to find Sōma staring down at the scattered remains of the meal._

" _Are you just going to stand there and stare at it? Get to cleaning!"_

 _Joichiro's voice snapped Sōma out of his stupor and he went to kneel down but his foot slipped and he fell directly into the soupy mess, dirtying his clothes and the kitchen even further. He got up immediately, babbling apologies as he tried to dust off his clothes with his hands._

" _I-I'm sorry tou-san! I slipped, I'll get the mop right a-"_

" _No. No! Just leave it, Sōma!"_

 _Joichiro shouldered past his son, mopping at the mess with long, quick strokes._

" _Then I'll just go and let the customers know that we had an accident and-"_

" _Don't bother. The customers have eyes and ears. I'm sure they've noticed, they aren't stupid." said Joichiro, stowing the mop and using a dust pan to collect and dump the remaining mess. It had taken him barely a minute to restore the kitchen floor to something passable._

" _Um…ok, I'll get to work at redoing table 4's order. I wi-"_

" _I've got it, Sōma." said Joichiro gruffly, already at the stew pot. He clicked on the burner as he moved to gather up ingredients._

" _Then…what should I do?"_

" _Nothing, Sōma. I can work faster by myself if I don't have to worry about you screwing up." said Joichiro, his voice calm and dismissive. He began preparing the stock, stirring it briskly as he added chopped vegetables._

" _Tou-san…I want to help. I promised kaa-chan that I'd help you manage things today and I ju-"_

" _Sōma, it would help if you just got the hell out of my kitchen. Right now." said Joichiro, his voice tense as he cubed the beef for the stew._

" _But, I j-"_

" _I SAID NOW!"_

 _Joichiro's shout completely shattered the air of calm he was trying to portray. All of the frustration and annoyance of both managing the diner and Sōma's quite understandable (yet still inconvenient) slip ups was expressed in that single sentence. All the conversation in the diner quieted as they heard the normally unflappable Yukihira male raise his voice._

 _Sōma stared at his father, who hadn't even bothered to turn around to address him. He looked out at the customers who were staring interestedly from their tables at the unfolding family drama. Already, whispers were circulating as people wondered what could have the head chef so worked up. Did it have something to do with the boy covered in stew?_

 _Sōma felt his eyes began to burn and he hiccupped, pulling in a shaky breath. But he didn't cry. He wouldn't cry. Nine year old boys didn't cry..._

 _Sōma ran, only barely slipping past the crowd as he went out through the sliding door, slamming it behind him with a loud smack of wood on wood. Joichiro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand as he doled out the completed beef stew into the newly assembled bowls with the other. He hadn't meant to snap at Sōma but it was frustrating sometimes. Sōma had the spirit and the talent to be a great chef but, at his current level, he was simply more hindrance than help. It wasn't his fault, and Joichiro knew that, but that didn't change his irritation._

 _As Joichiro placed the completed meal on table 4, he heard a weak voice behind him._

" _Jo-kun? Why were you yelling?"_

 _Joichiro turned to face his wife, who still looked faint. Her bright red hair was dull and sitting flat on her head and her green eyes were dim and worn. She was dressed in a simple set of pajamas but had hastily thrown on a robe to cover them as she came downstairs to investigate._

" _Kumi! You shouldn't be up, you still need rest."_

" _I heard yelling, Joichiro." she said tiredly. She looked around the crowded restaurant, smiling weakly and waving at the patrons, more of them regulars than not. They responded with nods, waves and smiles in return. Kumi looked back at Joichiro, her smile dropping as she noticed an absence of red hair._

" _Where's Soso-kun, Joichiro?" she asked. "Is he in the bathroom?"_

 _Joichiro sighed tiredly, shaking his head._

" _No, I'm afraid I lost my temper with him a bit; he went running out of the door. I was just about to go and find him."_

 _He wasn't surprised to find his wife glaring at him. Even as sickly as she was, the force behind her glare was impressive and Joichiro would've cringed if he wasn't already holding several plates collected from the surrounding tables. Kumi sighed, shaking her head as she broke eye contact with her husband._

" _I'd lecture you but I'm afraid I simply don't have the energy or the time. I'm going to go find our son." she said, turning to the door._

" _No, Kumi. I've got it. You should be lying down." said Joichiro with concern, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shook it off, waving him away._

" _It's just the flu, Joichiro. I'm not dying. You take care of our customers; I'll be back soon."_

 _She left the diner, shutting the screen with a gentle click._

* * *

 _Sōma wasn't crying. He wasn't. Big boys didn't cry. His vision was just really blurry because…it was bright outside. Yes, that's why he could barely see where he was going. That was it._

 _He bumped into someone, muttering out another apology as he kept running, wiping at his definitively-not-tear-filled eyes. He didn't see that he was approaching the curb of an intersection. He didn't see the sign on the pedestrian crossing go from bright white to warning red. And he definitely didn't see the large truck that was coming down the street, confident in the green traffic light and the clear road ahead of it._

" _Kid, what are- hey, watch out!"_

 _Sōma put his foot down, expecting solid ground but finding empty air. He stumbled forward with a cry, tumbling end over end into the street and onto his back. He got to his feet shakily, groaning as he blinked his eyes open, only to find that the left one was covered in sticky, red liquid. It was running down his face and he could barely taste it at the edge of his mouth. It tasted like pennies. He touched his eyebrow, wincing sharply at the sharp flash of pain that came as a result. Why did-  
_

 _The blast of the loud horn drove all other thoughts from Sōma's mind and he looked to the left to see the large grill of a truck barreling towards him. He gasped as the truck loomed, giant in his vision. It was close. Really, really close. Some part of Sōma knew he should move but he couldn't get his knees, legs or any part of his body, really, to stop shaking and cooperate._

" _SŌMA!"_

 _He heard someone call his name, a voice he recognized. He began to turn but, before he could, he felt hands on his back, slamming into him and catapulting him forward. Sōma felt his body turn in midair and he saw his mother where she hung in the air, arms outstretched. Sōma's eyes widened and he reached out towards her but he was already flying backwards, further and further away from her as he flew clear._

 _He locked eyes with her and Kumi smiled. She began to speak._

" _I lo-"_

 _The truck hit her at over forty miles per hour._

* * *

The room was quiet. No one said anything as Sōma finished speaking. Alice had tear tracks marring her face and she had her hands covering her mouth in horror. Erina's face was simply shocked. Her wide, purple eyes were staring at Sōma in disbelief and her mouth hung open. Megumi's face was simply despondent; she wasn't crying but the expression she wore was almost worse.

Sōma's face hadn't changed much during his story. He'd delivered his tale in the same calm and easy voice that he'd had since they'd arrived. He kept staring at the ceiling, his arms tucked behind his head. Alice tried to speak, her voice catching.

"Sōma-kun..."

"Alice." he said, cutting her off. "I'm fighting to not collapse into a sobbing mess right now. If I look at you right now, I'm going to lose that fight. Give me a minute."

A minute passed. Sōma took a deep breath before letting it out, rubbing the heels of his hands against his eyes. If they came away moist, no one commented on it.

"After that…things changed. Dad didn't take Mom's passing well. He threw himself back into cooking with an intensity I'd never seen him have for anything that wasn't Mom. He'd go out for days at a time, leaving me to keep an eye on things while he was off gathering new recipes or learning new techniques."

"But Sōma-kun, you were only…" began Megumi. She didn't have the courage to finish voicing her thought.

Sōma shrugged flippantly.

"I was nine. Pretty much ten, by that point. I could look after myself. I didn't care about that, not really. But what hurt was that even when Dad WAS there, it was like he wasn't. He'd spend all his time with his nose in books or at the stove or sleeping. He didn't talk to me unless I went out of my way to engage him and, even then, it didn't feel real. It felt like he was just putting up with me. I gave him the silent treatment once and we didn't talk for three whole weeks, unless you count the note he left on the fridge telling me he was going out to Osaka for the weekend."

"Sōma-kun, I…"

Erina didn't really know what she wanted to say. Or what she could say, even. She wasn't exactly in a position to talk about what good parenting was. Sōma continued speaking as if she hadn't said anything.

"I won't bore you with anymore of the angst ridden times of Yukihira Sōma. But, to answer your question Erina, that's why your dad pissed me off so much."

Erina started. She'd been so engrossed in Sōma's story, she'd almost forgotten she'd asked a question in the first place. Sōma locked eyes with her, his smile falling as his face dropped into a serious expression.

"My mother always put family first. Above all else. We're Yukihiras. That's what we do. Above money, above power, above the rest of the world, if need be, you protect your own. That isn't merely a belief; that's our way of life. Your father spits on that in every way he could. He used you and abused you so that he could have a God's Tongue wielding robot instead of a daughter and that is something that we can never forgive. That **I** can never forgive."

"But why?"

The question rose unbidden from Erina's lips. She was taken aback by the sheer ferocity in Sōma's voice. It made her feel warm in a way that was completely distinct from how she felt for Megumi. It made her feel safe and protected; it was a feeling that she'd once associated with…

"Why do you care so much, Sōma-kun? Why am I so important to you?" she asked.

Sōma cocked his head at her, smiling easily.

"Because you're special, Erina. To me. Yukihiras always protect their own."

There it was again, that warm feeling. Sōma's words were simple and sincere, bereft of any hidden meanings or falsehoods.

"So what makes me your own then?" she pressed insistently. "Is it because I'm your friend?"

"Not necessarily. Besides I wouldn't exactly call us friends, Erina. Last I checked, you didn't even really like me. Or my cooking." commented Sōma, grinning impishly.

"That's because you were more than a little annoying, Sōma-kun." she bit out, narrowing her eyes.

"So I bet you must have loved that stuffy, ice cube version of myself huh?" he shot back, sticking his tongue out at her.

"It's…I…we're past that and you know it! Stop deflecting, Sōma-kun." she snapped, refusing to be deterred. She couldn't fight the odd feeling she had in the back of her mind; something wasn't right. She couldn't place it but it felt like she was close. Close to opening a door that she would rather remain closed.

Sōma looked at her appraisingly.

"When is someone family, Erina?" he asked, posing his own question instead of answering hers. Before she could retort, he spoke up again. "This is important. Trust me, I'm not sidestepping anything. When is someone family?"

"Family members are those related to you by blood. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, cousins and so on." she said.

"But what of those that aren't connected to you by blood? Husbands and wives for example. What makes someone a husband or wife?"

"A marriage ceremony, of course." said Erina, although she felt as if she was missing something once again.

"That's obvious. What I'm asking is what makes you marry someone? What makes you connect with someone so deeply that you bring them and theirs into your own?"

"Love."

It was Megumi, not Erina, who'd responded. She had a small smile on her face as she thought of the dock workers from her hometown that, even now, would send her letters and ask after her and her progress. She continued speaking, confident in her answer.

"Love, Sōma-kun. It's love that brings you together. It's love that makes a family. Above relation, above class, above everything else, love is there."

Sōma smiled brightly at Megumi as if she'd solved a particularly difficult puzzle.

"Now you're thinking like a Yukihira, Tadokoro. It's just as she said, Erina, it's about love. You can have family that you're related to by blood who care nothing for you and vice versa. That's not the family that we Yukihiras speak about. When we talk about family, we mean _family_. Those people you choose to cherish and love above all else. Those people who you love so much that what's theirs to protect and love becomes yours to protect and care for as well."

"What exactly are you saying, Sōma-kun?" asked Erina haltingly. She looked almost frightened at what Sōma was suggesting. He locked eyes with Erina and he smiled languidly.

"She may not have our name. But that doesn't change the fact that Nakiri Katsumi is family. My mother considered her family. And to this day, I still consider her family."

Erina froze completely at Sōma's words. After several seconds of seeming more statue than human, she suddenly sat up, her back straight and her eyes hard. The look she gave Soma was one of cold fire.

"Don't speak that name."

"You're family, Erina. Whether you like it or not. Katsumi-san would want me to-"

"Don't."

Erina's tone had become even frostier and she leveled a glare on Sōma that made glaciers seem almost tropical.

"I have no idea what your connection to her may be but you will not bring up that woman, Yukihira-kun. Do we understand each other?" she asked. Sōma met Erina's glare with an indulgent smile.

"Erina, please. I know how it looks but Katsumi-san cares about you. She wants what's best for you and-"

"She stopped getting to have an opinion when she left." said Erina, heat creeping back into her voice. "She lost the right to care when she walked out on me and left me with Father ten years ago."

"Erina…it's not that simple; I-"

"Ten. Years." Erina ground out, gripping the edges of her notepad so tightly that her nails bit through the paper. "That's how long it's been since I've last seen my mother. Since I've so much as heard her voice. She hasn't even had the common decency to pick up the phone!"

Erina's nails tore through the paper, crumpling several pages as she clenched her hands. She didn't even notice.

"Do you know what that's like? To know your mother's out there somewhere and doesn't even care enough about you to send a postcard? To wonder whether she still thinks about you or even remembers that you exist? I only even know she's still alive because Grandfather assures me of that fact every time I ask but that's about the only information he can offer."

Erina looked at Sōma, who was looking back at her with concern.

"She had her reasons, I assure you." he said cautiously.

"And just what were they, Yukihira-kun? What amazing reason could she have for leaving her only daughter behind to fend for herself at the hands of Nakiri Azami?"

Sōma went to speak but Erina beat him to it.

"You know what? I'm not interested. I stopped caring a long time ago and I'm not going to start now. She can keep her reasons. I've moved on."

"Erina…I really think you should at least let me explain a few things."

"If any of those explanations have even the slightest thing to do with Katsumi- _san_ then I am completely uninterested in hearing them."

"But I think if you just listened for a moment…"

Erina stood up suddenly. Her hands were balled into fists and she was trembling in barely suppressed rage as she glared at Sōma.

"She doesn't get to do this. She had years to be there and she wasn't. Years to explain herself and she didn't. Years I spent feeling alone and unwanted that I can never get back, no matter how "sorry" she is or how much she "cares". And now, just when I've found someone that makes me feel like I'm part of something; like I'm cared for…no, she doesn't get to try and make this okay, not like this. Not through you. If that _woman_ has something to say to me then you tell her that she can do it herself!"

Erina bowed stiffly to Sōma.

"Yukihira-kun. I'm pleased to see you're doing better. And I thank you for answering our questions. The shokugeki terms have been met and I'll be seeing you. Good day."

Erina turned, flicking her hair and striding out of the room. Her sudden exit surprised Alice and Megumi but Sōma just sighed.

"Well, that could've gone worse, I suppose." he said, smiling wryly. He glanced over at Megumi who was staring at the door with open concern. She glanced back at Sōma hesitantly.

"Um…Sōma-kun, I know Erina said the terms were filled but we actually had a few more questions for you. Is it ok if we sort of, I don't know, press pause on the discussion and finish it at a later date?"

"Sure, that's fine with me. To be honest, I'm not surprised Erina ran off like that; she's never been very good at facing her feelings head on." said Sōma. "But, before you go, was there anything in particular that you wanted to ask me on your own Tadokoro?"

Megumi looked down at her notepad, mentally going over the list. Most of the questions either pertained to Erina's situation or were answers they both wanted but there was one specific question that Megumi wouldn't mind hearing the answer to on her own.

"When you called me, two days after you left, you were talking as if you weren't allowed to use the phone, why was that?"

"Oh. I wasn't allowed to use the phone at Azami's facility. That's all."

Megumi fought the urge to ask for further details on the facility. She was sure that was information Erina would want to hear.

"Ok. Well…at the end of the conversation, you began to say something before I was cut off. Do you remember what that was?"

Sōma tapped his chin, thinking back.

"Oh yea. That. I remember. Did you want to know what it was?"

Megumi nodded excitedly, looking up at Sōma expectantly.

Sōma closed his eyes as he recalled the memory.

"Well, it was good speaking to you, you were always-"

He opened his eyes and smiled.

"-one of my most cherished friends. I'm really glad I met you. Please wait for me. I'll miss you."

Sōma laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"That's all it was, nothing too special really. I'm sorry it couldn't be more dramatic."

Megumi stood to her feet, smiling up at Sōma's grinning visage. She leaned forward and hugged him tightly around the middle. Sōma was surprised but he returned the hug almost immediately.

"I'm glad you're doing better, Sōma-kun. I'll see you soon."

Megumi slipped past him and left through the door, leaving Sōma and Alice alone in silence. Something Sōma found suspicious, considering what he knew of Alice's personality.

"Alice, you've been rather quiet. Is everything alright?"

The lack of an answer prompted Sōma to turn around and look down at the cushions where she was sitting.

"We really should look into getting a different cushion. How long have you been asleep?!"

* * *

 **A/N: Ok, full disclosure, At the risk of sounding like a total bitch, I must admit that I cried while writing Kumi's death. It's weird. It was pretty short, didn't have that much build up, and I'd planned her death since like Chapter 4, which would've been months ago. But writing it somehow made it seem…real. I don't know. Maybe I'm just a weirdo.**

 **This is some of the questions I'm sure you've all had about Sōma's past answered. This is not nearly all of them, obviously. I may have even introduced a few more. Ain't that awesome? The rest will be addressed at a later date, do not worry. It's just that the list I've written out has like eleven question on it and each answer isn't as simple as writing it out. So I'm spacing them out appropriately.**

 **Also, for those who care, very minor retcon to the Interlude chapter. Not really worth a re-read but, if you're curious, go and re-read the part where Joichiro and Senzaemon are speaking. Specifically the part where they're talking about Sōma and Joichiro changing his name.**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed! I'll see you next week.**


	21. Chapter 20

Sōma crouched down and peered closely at Alice's sleeping face. The girl looked so peaceful; eyes shut and face completely relaxed. Soft, little breaths entered and exited her nose with a soft, petite whistling of air that only barely rustled the hair bang sweeping the left side of her face. Sōma could admit that, like this, she was beautiful in a calm, serene way that was completely different from her usual, bubbly demeanour.

And then he poked her cheek.

"I know you're faking." said Sōma flatly.

Alice's face remained calm and at ease. Until she cracked one red eye open to look up at Sōma.

"What gave me away?" she asked.

"Your breathing." he said, grinning down at her. Alice sat up without a trace of grogginess, squinting at him.

"My breathing? Are you telling me that you could hear the difference in breathing between me being awake and me being asleep?" she said sceptically. Sōma shook his head.

"Nah. You just snore when you're actually asleep." he said casually.

"I do NOT snore." she responded hotly, glaring at Sōma.

"I have all but recorded evidence that you do." he said, chuckling. "It's not like sawing logs or anything. More like…sawing twigs, I suppose. Medium sized twigs."

"Sōma-kun. I. Do. Not. Snore."

"Then you do something that closely resembles it, I assure you." he said, outright laughing now at the annoyed expression on Alice's face.

"Sōma-kun...do you remember how I said that there are some moments where you're better off agreeing with me?"

Alice's expression had changed into a pleasant smile, even as she held Sōma's ear in a firm, though not yet painful, grip. His eyes tracked over to where her deceptively strong fingers had him in her grip and this time, his laugh was more nervous than anything else.

"So, Sōma-kun. Do I snore?"

"No. You most certainly do not."

"That's what I thought." she said with satisfaction, releasing his ear.

"Although, I have to point out. If, in some alternate reality you DID snore, then that would mean that Erina knew you were faking." he pointed out, wincing at the glare she levelled on him. Alice sighed, shaking her head.

"I highly doubt that. With the way Erina was caught up in her feelings, I'm sure she wasn't paying much attention to anyone but you in those last few moments. She was…she was so…"

"Yeah, she was pretty pissed." said Sōma, sighing as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"That's not what I'm talking about, Sōma-kun." corrected Alice, frowning sadly. "I'm talking about what was beneath all of that anger and bluster. She was hurt. Really, genuinely hurt. I haven't seen her like that in so long..."

Alice trailed off, her expression morose.

"I'm guessing that's why you were 'sleeping' then?" he asked carefully. Alice nodded, biting her lip.

"It took all I had to not just tell her everything. Right then and there. She deserves to know Sōma-kun! I know we can't tell her, not yet, but…"

Alice sighed, closing her eyes tightly and pinching the bridge of her nose.

"How do you keep this up Sōma-kun? How've you done this for months on end?" she asked desperately, grasping at his sleeve. Sōma looked into the ceiling, staring at the wood panelling, his expression resigned.

"At cost. At great cost."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before sitting back down and settling into the amorphous cushion. He held his arms out and it took Alice seconds to accept the implicit offer. She settled into his side, her head resting on his chest as she clutched him tightly, arms around his torso.

After a few seconds, Sōma spoke again, his tone heavy.

"I'm sorry for burdening you with this information, Alice. I really am."

"Don't be." Alice said shortly, shaking her head. "I asked for it. Literally."

"Yes but that doesn't mean I should've been so…unfiltered. I had no intention of telling you as much as I did. I still wonder if I made the right decision."

"Oh please. As if I would've let you make any other."

" _Now, what do you need to tell me, Sōma-kun? What's the matter?"_

 _The single tear that ran down Sōma's cheek shocked Alice more than anything he could've said._

" _I kissed Rindō-senpai."_

 _Or so she thought._

 _Alice blinked up at him, at the conflicted expression on Sōma's face. At the tightening of his lips, the conflict in his eyes and the chain around his wrist. She tilted her head at him._

" _Sōma-kun…what exactly are you saying?"_

 _Three words. Four, technically. A fairly simple sentence, all things considered. So why did she have so much trouble processing them? Why were they so difficult to understand?_

 _Sōma opened his mouth. Then he closed it, before opening it again._

" _She…she has information I need. Critical information. Information I couldn't…afford. So, in exchange, she offered me a chance. A chance to get by without it. She said that all I needed to do was kiss her and I-"_

 _The slap to his cheek halted Sōma's words. His head swung to the side as he was forced back a step. Alice stared at her outstretched hand, at her stinging palm. How did it get out there? She pulled it back, cradling the hand to her chest. She would've sworn, in that moment, that it had moved on its own._

" _Sōma-kun…you…I don't…"_

 _She felt the beginnings of understanding. She felt Sōma's words really start to hit home. She started to grasp the magnitude of what Sōma was saying; of what his words actually meant._

 _Words. Such simple, little things. But absolutely devastating when placed in the right combination._

" _Why?"_

 _The utterance slipped unbidden from her lips. Sōma stared at Alice, his expression as close to devastated as she'd ever seen him with his chain on._

" _I…as I said, she gave me a chance. I needed her support and I couldn't have it without-"_

 _This time, the slap was more expected. But that didn't stop it from smacking strongly into Sōma's other cheek, sending him back another step. Alice's face had now firmly settled into a single, solitary emotion._

 _Anger. Pure, unfettered anger._

" _No."_

 _The word was more growled than spoken. She stepped towards Sōma, gripping him by his collar. Sōma wasn't surprised by the violent action. Sad and furious with himself for driving her to violence but not surprised by it at all. What DID surprise him was when Alice hefted him straight into the air as if he weighed nothing. His feet dangled over an inch above the ground in her hold._

 _The glare she was giving him could set fire to water._

" _Not this time, Yukihira Sōma. I've given you everything. My trust, my friendship, my love, my help. And you've thrown all of that away. You've spit on what we had; what we've shared."_

 _Alice's voice cracked and she dropped Sōma, turning away to rub furiously at her traitorous eyes. They were supposed to get with the program and be mad with the rest of her; not cry._

" _Alice…"_

" _Just tell me why. What's so important, Sōma-kun? What's so important that you'd turn your back on us? On…on me…"_

 _The anger was being beaten back swiftly by a cresting wave of sadness and hurt that threatened to overtake her. Alice held her chest, wondering why she felt such pressure there. She'd seen heartbreak in a hundred forms in the movies she'd watched; she'd had friends describe to her how it felt to lose that special person. She thought she'd understood. She thought she'd know what to expect, if she was ever unlucky enough to go through such a thing herself._

 _She hadn't the slightest idea._

 _The pressure continued to build and build. Alice felt her eyes start to fill and then overflow with water and she opened her mouth as a loud, wailing sob burst from her lips. A sob filled with all of the sadness, loss and hurt that one teenage girl could possibly hold._

 _She fell to her knees, holding her face in her hands as she continued to cry, as tears continued to leak from her eyes. The water coated her hands, running down them to drip to the floor with the soft patter of falling rain. The pressure didn't abate; it didn't ease. It just continued to sit on her chest and force cry after cry from her lungs and through her lips. Alice wondered if she'd ever feel alright again. She didn't want to feel this way. She hated feeling this way._

 _She felt strong arms encircle her and she instinctively leaned into them before realizing just who it must be._

" _No, no. Get off of me, let me go!"_

 _She fought against his grip, trying to stand and get away from him. Her struggles were fierce and they contained all of the strength she'd exhibited earlier. Her hands beat against Sōma's chest, her fists striking him solidly several times and causing him to gasp sharply. Still, he refused to let her go. Alice fought for a few seconds more before giving up and collapsing into his arms as another series of sobs overtook her._

 _She clutched at his shirt, tears and mucus flowing freely as she poured everything she felt into the air leaving her lungs. Her cries had none of the borderline inhuman elegance and poise that Alice was so known for. They were loud, unrefined and filled with a pain that was all too real and all too human._

 _Sōma simply continued to hold her, doing what little he could to bring comfort to the girl. The girl he'd hurt. With every cry that left her lips, he grew angrier. Angry at Rindō. Angry at Azami. And, most importantly, angry at himself. Behind all of the reasoning and excuses, he'd done this. He was responsible. He'd chosen to hurt the woman he loved for his own goals, selfless as they may be._

 _As Alice's wailing petered out into quiet sobs and hiccups, she clutched Sōma's shirt even tighter. Even now, after what he'd done, she still felt safe in his arms. She still felt cared for. Loved._

" _I'm trying, Sōma. I really am. Was I not enough?"_

 _That final, quiet inquiry broke Sōma's resolve and he spoke. For the first time since he'd entered Azami's service, he spoke freely. He told Alice about what he'd been through. He told Alice about what he'd once had with Rindō, the good and the bad. He told Alice about what had really led to the creation of his two halves._

 _He told Alice about the plans his father and Senzaemon had created; plans he'd been all too willing to become a part of._

 _He told Alice about Nakiri Katsumi and why she'd left Erina ten years argo._

 _He told Alice everything._

"I still can't really believe it sometimes." admitted Alice. "I mean…I'd heard what kind of man Azami was, once I was older and my parents thought I could handle such a…complicated issue. But I'd never even imagined just how deeply he had his hooks into my family. That wretch of a man shouldn't have been allowed to even approach the threshold of the mansion, let alone become a part of my family."

Even after what he'd done, Alice had respectfully referred to Azami as her uncle and a member of the Nakiri clan, for all that he'd been banished. But, after what she'd learnt from Sōma, she would never call that man her uncle or a Nakiri for as long as she lived.

"Azami, for all his amorality, is incredibly intelligent and skilled at deceiving others. Before he met Katsumi, he was a nothing and a nobody. Relatively, anyway. He saw a chance with her and he took it. Ruthlessly. As Azami does everything else." said Sōma, looking up at the ceiling as if it held answers, even though it rarely did.

"I just don't understand how Katsumi-ba was ever taken in by him or his lies. He's so…slimy. And fake."

Alice shuddered as a chill swept through her. The things she'd learnt from Sōma had done nothing to lessen her anger at Azami but they had added a healthy dose of fear and revulsion to go along with it.

"From what I understand, Azami was a completely different person back then. He was quiet, reserved, respectful. A bit blunt and unaware of others' feelings but overall, a pleasant enough person. Pops said he considered Nakamura a good friend for a reason, after all." said Sōma thoughtfully.

"That's because he was crushing on your dad." said Alice, rolling her eyes. Sōma laughed in response, ruffling Alice's hair and earning a pout in return.

"I wouldn't call it crushing. Not really."

Alice fixed him with a look and sat up, sweeping her arms dramatically.

"I will bring salvation to this rotten culinary world that ruined my dear _Saiba-senpai_!"

At the mention of Joichiro's former name, Alice made a ridiculous kissing face at Sōma, clasping her hands together. The expression caused Sōma to give her a flat look which was only made flatter by the way she waggled her eyebrows at him.

"That's not funny."

"Speak for yourself. _I_ thought it was hilarious." she said cheekily, poking him in the stomach. Sōma glanced over at her.

"Not when you put it into perspective."

Sōma's dose of reality was enough to cause Alice's humour filed expression to fall. She huffed and flopped back next to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Well. Whatever you call it, Azami definitely had more than a little affection for your dad. I'm not surprised he was a completely different person around him."

"It wasn't just him, though." interjected Sōma. "Katsumi, my mom and even Senzaemon-sama were all taken in by Azami. They all thought the same of him; a bit quiet and overly intense but a good person, overall. I can really only think that means one of two things."

Sōma held up a single finger.

"One. Azami was a genuinely better person back then. And he simply allowed his ideals to overtake him once he got in a position to properly pursue them. With the backing of the most powerful family in the culinary world, he allowed himself to be swept up into his desire to refine the cooking world into his vision until nothing else mattered. Or…"

Sōma held up a second finger. He didn't speak immediately, he just stared at the second digit he'd extended.

"Or…Azami was always like this. And he was just very, very good at hiding what he was until he got into a position to get what he wanted. And then he finally revealed his true nature when there was nothing left to stand in his way. When he finally had enough power, in his opinion, to show his true self."

Alice stared at the two fingers that Sōma had extended, humming thoughtfully.

"So you're wondering if he's more Darth Vader or Palpatine then?"

The room was silent for a beat. And then two.

Sōma turned his face downwards to look at Alice, who was staring up innocently at him.

"I'm not sure what surprises me more; that that's a very accurate comparison. Or that you know enough about Star Wars to make said comparison."

Alice shrugged casually.

"Ryo likes those movies. I can only make him sit through so many romantic comedies before he expects repayment in some fashion, after all."

Before Sōma could comment, his phone beeped. It was a custom tone, an animated cat's purr. He dug it out of his pocket, checking the screen.

 _Change in plans. E10 trials start tomorrow afternoon instead of next week Monday as it says in the notes I gave you. I'll speak with Ikumi-chan. I suggest you and Snowflake-chan get prepared. Fast. Good luck Sōma-kun._

Sōma's eyes widened as he stared down at the screen.

"Oh no…"

He got to his feet abruptly, startling Alice and causing her to roll to the floor unceremoniously.

"Ack! Sōma-kun!"

Alice stood up, dusting herself off. Before she could speak, Sōma handed her his phone. She looked it over, her eyes widening as well.

"This can't be random."

Alice looked up at Sōma, surprised at his words. His eyes were narrowed as he placed a hand to his chin, thinking.

"The work needed to do this…the strings he'd have to pull with Tsukasa-senpai alone, let alone the administrative board and the rest of the Council. What does Azami hope to gain by shifting this up by a week?"

"Maybe he's looking to catch people off guard. Exams only just ended; no one's really had time to prepare. Well, except for those Azami warned beforehand, I suppose." offered Alice, folding her arms.

"I'm not certain. A week isn't enough time for anyone to get that much more skilled; at least not without serious assistance. We could do it because we're just that good." He grinned cockily at Alice, who returned his grin with equal measure. If there was one thing neither of them lacked, it was confidence.

"True, true. And anyone who's a worthy contender for a seat would be just as capable, so perhaps he's hoping to prevent that?" said Alice thoughtfully. "Perhaps there are Central chefs he already has lined up for seats that have been training for weeks on end already."

"Not likely." said Sōma, thinking back. "Outside of those of us on the Elite Ten Council, there are only a few chefs in Central's ranks that would be able to bring that sort of offense to bear. I helped train some of them myself. They're second years; competent second years for certain but they're not on my level. To be honest, they're not even on Tadokoro-chan's level anymore, if what I've seen of her abilities is any indication. A week's difference wouldn't change that…is something on my face?"

As Sōma was speaking, Alice had begun staring at him with a slowly growing smirk. She giggled behind her hand, as if she knew something he didn't.

"Oh…I think I know just what Azami was trying to prevent." she commented offhandedly. When it became clear she wasn't going to say more, Sōma rolled his eyes and walked away. He didn't make it three steps before Alice fell in beside him, pouting.

"You're supposed to ask me what I've deduced!" she said petulantly.

"Why, you're just going to tell me anyway if I wait long enough. And we don't exactly have the time to waste." said Sōma as they both walked through the halls towards his room. Alice huffed but conceded the point.

"It's you."

Sōma cocked his head at her curiously.

"It's me what?"

"Azami saw what happened to you; he saw what happened to you after your match with Erina. He probably thinks you're still shaken up from everything that happened. He has no reason to think differently, considering the time frame."

Alice's conclusion, rather than set Sōma at ease, seemed to cause him concern. He opened the door to his room, allowing her inside before shutting the door behind them and walking to the desk where the folder sat. He picked it up and flipped through it, deftly pulling a few papers from it and handing them to Alice.

"Here you go. Details for the 5th task. I'd suggest you study up." he said tightly, snapping the folder shut and setting it down on the desk. Alice took the papers from Sōma but didn't look through them. Instead she stared at Sōma in abject confusion.

"Is something the matter, Sōma-kun? This is good news. Azami thinks you're still injured; he won't know what hit him! He'll have gone through all of this for nothing."

"That's not exactly the case, Alice." said Sōma hesitantly. "This may have actually been the best possible move that Azami could've made, even though he doesn't know it. A week could've made a world of difference for me."

The way Sōma spoke told Alice that he didn't mean a week of training in the kitchen.

"What…what exactly do you mean, Sōma-kun?" she asked, just as hesitantly. Sōma looked at Alice with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration, running a hand through his hair. He looked away, biting the inside of his cheek before sighing.

"Alice, do you remember what I explained to you? About the advice Tsukasa-senpai gave me?"

Alice nodded, wondering what Sōma was getting at. Sōma continued speaking, his gaze locked onto something unseen.

"The truth is…I'm still working on reconciling everything that's in my head. I may seem like I've done a pretty good job so far but that's only because I shoved all of my likability, social skills and happy thoughts, basically, into one side of myself. This…this person you see before you, this Yukihira Sōma, is only a part of me. This is all of my happiness, my joy, my love for you and the rest of my friends, my compassion...all of that and more."

"So…it's like how you were before, when your chain was off?" asked Alice hopefully, even as she realized that what she'd said didn't really line up. She'd interacted with both sides, frequently. For all their differences, they'd also been similar in ways; where it mattered. They were truly two sides of the same coin. What Sōma was talking about sounded very, very different from the sort of symbiotic situation he'd had before.

"No. It's not like that. Superficially, on the surface? It seems that way. But…there's no connection. No bridge. Not yet, anyway. There's not nearly enough trust here for that. Instead, based on Tsukasa-senpai's advice, I've done some…rearranging."

Sōma took a piece of paper up from his desk and folded it outwards to show Alice the drawings there. He pointed to two intersecting circles.

"Think of these two circles as my two sides. Right now they're split because I don't…I can't trust myself. Basically. We simply diverged and disagreed way too much. The more we diverged, the more unstable I became. My…breakdown was more or less inevitable but my loss to Erina and Tadokoro hasted the process and acted as the catalyst to it. It split me in two; two overlapping circles became two completely separate circles."

He pointed to another drawing that had two completely separate circles. One had been shaded in completely while the other was free of any markings at all.

"So now, with the distance between them, my sides can't get along. At all. Hence why I was so lifeless for those two days. I spent most of that time locked in disagreement with myself. But Tsukasa-senpai's advice gave me an idea. He suggested ways to slowly build back up the trust between myself but I…"

His face fell and the hand holding the paper trembled, just slightly.

"That's not an option right now. At least…not a fast one. And I needed fast. So I used his idea as a springboard and I did something else. I reprioritized. I shifted things around. I poured enough of myself, specific parts of myself anyway, into my unchained side until my other side just…quieted down."

"What do you mean quieted down?" asked Alice, wondering why she felt, on the very edges of her awareness, a feeling of foreboding. Maybe it was Sōma's tone or just the esoteric nature of their conversation but she felt a strong sense of unease when Sōma had said those particular words.

He looked at her, conflicted.

"Alice…"

"No more secrets. We agreed." she said firmly, tone brooking no agreement. Sōma closed his eyes, sighing again as a completely new emotion took over his face. Shame.

"Alice…I'm split into two halves. It wasn't as easy as putting everything into one circle and hoping the other circle goes away, unneeded. There simply isn't enough…"

Sōma gestured vaguely, frustrated.

"I don't really know how to describe it. Calling it space would be a bit of a misnomer. There's just parts of one circle that aren't compatible with parts of another. I've taken what I can from the chained version of myself but there are things that I can't take for myself while still being me. And things I had to give up in exchange to take that which lets me have the control I do."

"Sōma-kun. What does that mean?" asked Alice, glaring at him. She still felt that he was withholding information from her. Important, vital information. Sōma continued to speak, guilt tainting his tone.

"I took a lot. A lot. Eventually I took enough that my other side simply stopped…caring. He's completely apathetic. He's not asleep or unaware or hidden or sealed. He's there. Always watching, always listening. He just doesn't care to try for control anymore. Or to do anything really. And he…"

Sōma bit his lip, turning away from Alice's intense gaze.

"To make the exchange, to have control, I had to give up something important; something that was as important to me as being my own person. Something that is as fundamentally Yukihira Sōma as the ability to be an actual person in the real world."

And suddenly, Alice knew. She wanted to reject her realization completely but she couldn't. It simply fit with everything she'd heard since Sōma started speaking. It explained why Sōma would be so concerned by Azami's rescheduling; it explained why he would seem so guilty by what he'd done to himself. Her mouth fell open and she suddenly felt faint.

"Sōma-kun…you didn't…"

"Alice…I can't cook."

Sōma's expression was despondent and the heartbreak in his face was clear.

"I can do simple things. I can boil rice and make eggs. Cook pasta. But anything even sort of complex…anything that takes even an ounce of actual skill or talent…"

Sōma threw his hands in the air.

"Nothing. Not a damn thing. I can barely cook a passable child's lunch as I am, let alone anything worthy of Tōtsuki. Every time I try, it just doesn't work. None of the knowledge, none of my skills are there to be used. It's just... _blank_. I know that I know three different ways to clean and prepare salmon but when I try to, I just…I can't do it."

"Sōma-kun…"

Alice's face was completely and utterly taken aback. She wanted to assure Sōma that things were fine; that his being sane and healthy was more important than his cooking skill. In an ideal world, she would say just that and comfort him. But this wasn't an ideal world. This was reality.

Cooking was a fundamental part of who they were. They were chefs, first and foremost. It was their goal to be the best of the best. Attending Tōtsuki without having a passion for cooking in your very blood was a one way ticket to being expelled in your first week. The school demanded nothing less than excellence and it showed in its expulsion rates and the exorbitant amount of money invested in it by those of the culinary world. To be one of the best in a school of the best showed that, to you, cooking was something more than a pastime or a hobby. It showed that you had already devoted your very life to the expansive world that was the culinary arts. And that you were not only willing but eager to continue doing just that.

To have all of that, your life's work just…gone…

No. Alice wasn't sure that she could tell Sōma that what he'd done had been worth it. Because she herself wasn't even sure if she would be lying or not.

"Is…is there nothing you can do?" she asked desperately. "If this persists…Sōma-kun, you won't last the week."

Alice didn't say mention that the problem was bigger than that. Right now, Sōma stood at risk of losing much more than his tenure at Tōtsuki. Sōma gave her a tired smile, taking her hand.

"It's fine. It's not as catastrophic as you would think. I…I can fix this. I know I can. I just have to figure out how to make him actually give a damn about doing something. From there, I can start working my way back up properly, the way I was supposed to from the beginning. To get back on track to becoming a somewhat normal, whole person. That's the long term goal, anyway."

"What's the short term goal then?" asked Alice, more to distract herself from her thoughts than anything else.

"To get him interested enough to actually participate in tomorrow's challenge for me. Otherwise I'm screwed."

* * *

"Good morning, dear students. I'm so glad you could join me today."

Nakiri Azami sat behind his desk, hands folded. The smile he gave the camera that was broadcasting him throughout Tōtsuki's network would've seemed genuine to any that didn't know him.

"Now, firstly. I must apologize to all of you. Due to a few changes in the administration process, I've been forced to make a few changes to this year's Elite Ten Selection. Nothing too overt but, the reason I'm speaking to you all today as opposed to just sending out a written notice as is the norm is due to the time frame of this year's Selection. But I'll get into that a bit later; first I shall detail the process for you."

Azami gestured off screen and stood to his feet. A large whiteboard was wheeled in behind his desk as he moved to stand beside it. It had five boxes, evenly spaced apart across its surface. Each box had a number and a name associated with it. Azami picked up a marker from the base of the board, pointing at each box in turn as he spoke.

"This year, the Elite Ten Selection will be a series of five challenges, all designed by our graduating Elite Ten Council members. Each has chosen a style of challenge that embodies both their personal cooking style and philosophy along with Central's core ideals concerning what a true chef should be. The tests will emulate the courses of a five course meal."

Azami uncapped the marker, writing in words above each space.

 _Soup_

 _Dessert_

 _Appetizer_

 _Salad_

 _Main Course_

"As you can see, the courses will be served out of sequence, but that's mostly immaterial, as each challenge will be spaced out over the course of the next several weeks regardless. Instead, we'll go in descending order of the seats in question. Thus, we shall be starting with Somei-kun's challenge, which will be based in the soup portion of the meal."

Azami turned to face the camera, placing his hands on his desk as he leaned forward.

"What the actual challenge will be is a mystery to even myself. I've informed all of the Council members to be as discreet as possible with this information, in the interest of fairness. Thus, only the necessary information you would need to compete in the challenge will be divulged to you beforehand. Those interested are encouraged to come forward and submit their name to my offices before noon today for consideration for the Elite Ten Selection."

Azami's smile fell and his expression grew serious as he stared directly into the camera's lens. It was as if he was looking directly into the eyes of every single Tōtsuki student that was currently watching the broadcast.

"However. I simply must warn you, this is not a decision to make lightly. You will be judged by the Council member in question, along with a panel of judges of his or her choosing. You will earn a specific number of points, much as you did in the Autumn Election preliminaries. And each challenge will have a certain minimum you are expected to meet. And if, by the end of the series of challenges, your score is below a certain threshold, you will be expelled. Regardless of any previous prestige you may have held, up to and including a seat on the Elite Ten Council."

Azami pulled his desk chair out, taking a seat in it once more as he folded his hands and continued to speak, his tone empty but heavy at the same time.

"No one's safety is guaranteed in this coming set of challenges. A true chef should be willing to risk it all to claim a seat among the best. That being said, this doesn't mean that all of you need to compete. Remember, times have changed. This is no longer the Tōtsuki that is concerned with sending students home by the dozens to prove a point."

Azami's smile seemed more genuine now and he held his hand out beseechingly.

"Those who want to simply sit back and enjoy the festivities are encouraged to. Your tenure at Tōtsuki is ensured; there's no need to risk yourself. So I would encourage those who feel they have even more to learn from both myself and Central to simply join me as a spectator of those that will step forward to prove their worth. Somei-kun's challenge will be at 6:00 pm tonight in block A of the West hall kitchens. If needed, blocks B through D are also available for his use. If you submit your name, please be present at Lecture Hall B of the West hall no later than 5:30. Come dressed in chef's attire but please leave any personal tools you have at home; you won't be needing them. Those who would like to spectate are welcome to join me at the kitchens directly. I will be there to watch the fireworks myself. Have a good day."

The smiling figure of Azami was the last thing seen before the screen faded to black. Erina reached forward and turned off the TV with a tap of the remote. The room was silent.

She turned to look at the rest of the room. The entire Polar Star Dormitory had gathered to watch the address. Erina had gotten a text from Alice earlier that morning to let her know about the incoming announcement. She had no doubt many of them may have missed it otherwise; the Tōtsuki channel was little else but Central propaganda these days. They never bothered to watch it anymore.

"Noon…that's only four hours away. And then the starting challenge itself is six hours afterwards." said Marui, adjusting his glasses. His striped pajamas contrasted oddly with the wizard nightcap perched on his head. "That just seems very rapid. I don't remember last year's Elite Ten Selection being this hurried."

"It wasn't." confirmed Satoshi, who was still staring thoughtfully at the screen. He was clad solely in a bedsheet that he had hitched around his body like a toga. "Last year, we had a week's notice to submit our application for consideration and then a week afterwards to prepare for the first phase. Just what is Azami-sama playing at?"

"Do you think it has anything to do with Sōma-kun?" asked Ryoko. Her sleepwear consisted of a tank top and shorts that looked as if they'd been purchased in middle school, if the way they clung to her was any indication. Satoshi turned to face her, eyebrows raised.

"It's possible, I suppose. There's no way he could expect Sōma to be in top form after only three days. But then, the question becomes why Azami would want to stonewall the advancement of his Premier Enforcer."

"Who knows why that crazy bastard does anything?" commented Daigo, folding his arms. "The better question is if we're gonna do this or not."

"Definitely!" chimed in Yuki, extending a fist in the air. She was clad in a dark, long sleeved shirt that seemed eerily similar to the one Shun was wearing. "This is our chance to get on the Council, why wouldn't we?"

"Did you not hear what my father said, Yuki-chan?" asked Erina seriously. She folded her arms, her pale pink nightdress rustling with the movement. "There's a very real chance of expulsion. I mean, there always has been, with Elite Ten Selections, but I can only assume the risk is even greater with my father at the helm."

"You make a good point, Erina-chan." said Satoshi. The bedsheet had fallen and seemed to be held around his waist only by the sheer virtue of him being seated. "Although it can't be too blatant. Azami-sama seems to be going out of his way to at least appear inclusive and considerate to the student body. If the threshold of expulsion is really that high, then it will be clear to everyone that it's a farce. Not to mention the risk to Azami's own competing soldiers."

"That's true, I suppose. Although I wouldn't put it past my father to have informed his people beforehand about just what's going to happen. I don't believe for a second that he was being truthful about not knowing what the challenges are." said Erina, narrowing her eyes. Megumi yawned listlessly from her place next to her. She'd always been terrible at waking up in the mornings, especially if Satoshi didn't drag her out into the garden where the sun and fresh air could get her started.

Satoshi went to speak more but then the doorbell rang. He looked around curiously. The Aldini brothers, clad in their uniforms, were present, as was Hisako. He couldn't think of anyone else that would be visiting at such an oddly early hour.

"That's odd. It's like eight in the morning, who could that be?" asked Ryoko, looking out towards the foyer.

"I'll get it." said Satoshi helpfully. He went to stand up and the sheet began to shift…

"NO! That's alright!"

Almost like lightning, Megumi had stood and slapped her hand onto Satoshi's shoulder, forcing him back into his chair and keeping the sheet in position. He looked up at her questioningly and she laughed, slapping him on the shoulder again, red faced.

"Don't strain yourself, senpai. I've got it."

Megumi left the room before he could protest. She sighed to herself as she walked towards the front door, rubbing at one eye. That had been too close for comfort. She really wished Satoshi would be at least a little more self-conscious sometimes. She yawned as she made it to the front door, opening it.

" _O…Ohayo_. Welcome to Polar Star Dormitory. How can I help you?"

As her yawn ended and Megumi opened her eyes back up, she was surprised by the two people standing before her.

Sōma and Alice stood on the steps. Sōma's expression was light hearted while Alice's was serious. They both wore their Tōtsuki uniforms, with the noted addition of Central pins to their lapels. Sōma gave Megumi a small smile and a wave, the sun glinting harshly off of the golden accessory.

"Hey there Tadokoro. Sorry for dropping in unannounced. Can we speak to you, Erina and Isshiki-senpai? It's kind of urgent."

Megumi was still too surprised to respond verbally. Sōma tilted his head at her and leaned forward, tapping her softly on the forehead.

"Tadokoro? Anyone home?"

Megumi started, stammering embarrassedly at her lapse.

"U-um. Yes, that's fine. Just…wait right here. Or come in. Whatever you like is fine."

Megumi left the door open and walked back to the main room on shaky legs. She stood in the doorway and gestured to Satoshi and Erina, who both noticed her and came forward. She explained in a rushed whisper what had happened and, soon, the three Polar Star residents stood across from Sōma's group in the front yard.

Despite the fact that they were all friends and fellow students, there was a definite air of tension. Perhaps it was because of the general lack of communication between the two sides. Perhaps it was because of Central's recent loss to the Dormitory. Or perhaps it was because of the pin that Alice now wore so prominently.

"Morning, everyone." said Sōma cheerfully, waving.

"Good morning to you as well, Sōma-kun." said Satoshi just as cheerfully. It seemed both of them were unaffected by the tense atmosphere. "How can we help you on this fine morning?"

"Well, I trust you all saw Azami-sama's broadcast?" he asked, looking between each of them with interest.

Satoshi nodded, smiling.

"Indeed. It was quite informative. The Director's usually not so involved in the selection process, after all."

"Well, we all know Azami-sama has a distinctly different style of management than Senzaemon-sama did." said Sōma. "I'm sure what this way will lead to a better and brighter-"

Alice cut Sōma off with a harsh elbow to the side.

"Would you cut it with the propaganda? It's not like you need to fake it anymore. Isn't that why we're here?"

Sōma laughed, rubbing at his side.

"Old habits, sorry. You're right Alice. That is why we're here."

Sōma locked eyes with Satoshi, his smile dropping.

"We're here so that I can formally ask the three of you to compete in the Elite Ten Selection."

Satoshi raised an eyebrow at him.

"Interesting. I wouldn't imagine Azami-sama would want me back. Considering the trouble he went through to get rid of me in the first place." commented Satoshi idly.

"Azami doesn't. But there's only so much power the Director has. And he's already exhausted a lot of the favour and reach he's had. Between creating Central, abolishing the independent societies and singlehandedly releasing three Elite Ten Council members, there's only so much more even he can do. Tampering with the Elite Ten Selection process…I doubt he has the clout left." said Sōma.

"However, that's not my main concern. What is my concern is getting Azami the hell out of our school. And I would need your help to do it."

The proclamation took Erina and Megumi by complete surprise although Satoshi just hummed, as if Sōma had made a particularly interesting suggestion for dinner.

"Is that so?" asked Satoshi, his smile unwavering.

"I won't mince words; things have changed. I thought I'd have more time to develop a stronger footing for my coup but…that simply wasn't in the cards, I suppose. So I've come to request your assistance in ousting Azami, in the same manner he was brought in. A majority vote by the Elite Ten Council."

Erina and Megumi looked at each other, the surprise clear in both of their eyes. They hadn't had the opportunity to ask Sōma just what it was he was trying to do but now it seemed all too obvious. He'd been working from the inside; trying to destroy Azami's regime from the inside out by playing the loyal solider.

Satoshi tilted his head, narrowing his eyes at Sōma. Sōma didn't flinch under the scrutinizing look.

"I see. I must say, you've taken a rather roundabout way of going about it. There were certainly simpler ways to accomplish this." was all the former seventh seat said.

Sōma shrugged one shoulder.

"I prefer to think of it as unexpected. Friends close, enemies closer and all that."

"So that's what all this was for? You wanted to gain enough support on the Elite Ten to vote Azami back out?" asked Satoshi, his smile still in place.

"Pretty much." said Sōma, grinning at Satoshi.

"Hmm. I see. Well, be that as it may, I'm afraid I must decline."

Satoshi's swift refusal took Sōma by surprise and it showed on his face.

"Uh…Isshiki-senpai, what do you mean? Don't you want to get back onto the Elite Ten Council?" asked Megumi, looking over at the elder student. He looked down at her with a serious expression and shook his head.

"Once, maybe. But that is no longer the case, Tadokoro-chan. I've had my time in the sun. I've no desire to lead, at least not in that sense. Not anymore." he said.

"But why?" asked Sōma, stepping forward. "You've seen what Azami's doing; how can you simply sit back and allow this?"

"Because I have faith, Sōma-kun."

The answer stopped Sōma cold and he paused, wondering if he'd misheard the older boy. Satoshi looked back at him.

"I have faith in you. And Megumi-chan. And Erina-chan. And Alice-san. And all of the rest of you. My time to fight has past. I will do what I need to in order to protect these walls and those in them."

He gestured towards Polar Star.

"But beyond that, I leave Tōtsuki's fate to you and yours, Sōma-kun."

Satoshi turned, walking away from both pairs and up the stairs towards the dormitory. The door closed behind him with a definitive note of finality. Sōma stared at where Satoshi had made his exit in disbelief. He'd been certain that Satoshi would get involved. He was one person that Sōma had counted on; someone he knew was more than strong enough to earn a place on the Council next year and someone he could trust to make the right vote when the time came.

"It's fine, Sōma-kun."

Sōma turned to face Alice, who smiled up at him, not perturbed in the slightest by Satoshi's refusal, despite knowing the stakes.

"There's seven of us, after all. That's more than enough to force a majority vote against Azami." she said cheerily. Sōma glanced over at where Erina and Megumi stood. Megumi looked concerned and she kept glancing in between the closed Polar Star entrance and the group from Central. Erina's face was more composed; Sōma had no idea what was going through her mind.

"I mean, that's if, of course, my dear cousin and Megumi-san see fit to compete. You will, won't you?" asked Alice, turning to face the two girls. Erina didn't respond immediately; she simply continued looking back at her cousin with a stoic, reserved look. After several seconds of tense quiet, Erina turned to Megumi.

"It's your decision, Megumi-chan." stated Erina.

"My decision?!" exclaimed Megumi in surprise. Erina nodded, placing a supportive hand on her shoulder.

"I won't try and convince you of anything, Megumi-chan. If you want to try for a seat on the council, I will try right alongside you. But, if you don't, then I'm more than happy to try on my own. My father needs to be stopped, one way or the other, and I, for one, am sick of having others fight my battles."

She glanced over at Sōma, who hadn't reacted to the oblique reference, other than to raise an eyebrow at her.

"I would love nothing more than to have you by my side but I more than understand if you don't want to take the risk." she said.

Megumi looked even more worried and she took Erina by the sleeve, pulling her aside.

"Erina-chan…are you sure about this? Your father…I know we've made progress but…"

Erina took Megumi's hand in hers, threading their fingers together. She closed her eyes and placed her other hand on her chest.

"Megumi-chan. As long as I have you, as long as I have this feeling…there's no room in my mind to be afraid of my father. Not anymore."

Megumi looked up at the serene expression on Erina's face and saw something there that allowed her to come to a decision. She turned and faced Sōma, who'd been watching their exchange in interest.

"We'll do it, Sōma-kun. We'll put our names in and help you take down Azami-sama."

Sōma gave them a deep nod and a grateful smile.

"That's wonderful news. In that case…"

Sōma dug into his jacket, pulling out a few pieces of paper that he handed to them.

"Here are the details for the coming task. Based on the setup, I don't think this'll be of much help. But it's better than nothing."

Erina took the pages, leafing through them. Her eyebrows went up and she nodded.

"A bit unorthodox. But certainly doable. There's not much we can do, as you said, but there are a few things we can prepare for. Come, Megumi-chan. We should get started immediately."

Erina turned to start walking back into the dorm but Megumi placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"But shouldn't we go and register ourselves first?" asked Megumi questioningly. "We only have until noon, after all."

Erina didn't turn around but Megumi could just barely see the tips of her ears flush red.

"Man. That would've been pretty embarrassing, huh Erina?" asked Alice cheekily, making no effort to conceal her chuckling. "Showing up all gung-ho only to not be on the list of competitors?"

"Quiet Alice!" snapped Erina, turning to face her. She stomped past her petulantly, heading towards the gate with a single minded determination.

"Erina-chan, you're still in your nightclothes!" called Megumi worriedly. Erina paused, before turning around and walking back towards them. She stopped briefly to pull Megumi alongside her, holding the blue haired girl like a shield between the laughter in Sōma's eyes and the straight up laughter coming from Alice's lips.

"Ah…goodbye Sōma-kun! Alice-chan!" shouted Megumi, only barely finishing her sentence before Erina slammed the door shut so hard that the entire porch rattled with the force. Sōma laughed, turning to head out of the gate.

"Well, that was interesting. I suppose we should go and submit our names too, huh Alice?" he asked cheerfully. When he got no response, he turned to face Alice, who was staring at the doorway with a contemplative expression. "Something wrong?"

Alice turned to face Sōma, fixing him with a serious look.

"Do you think it's fair to not tell her, Sōma-kun? If she gets back onto the Council, there's no way she can avoid Azami for long. And your father's protection expires once the school year ends."

Sōma's cheery expression faded slightly and he sighed as they began walking down the forested path away from the dormitory.

"That won't matter if we can get him out before then. It's not how I planned things to go, not at all, but Pops forced my hand by letting them bet his tenure. At the very least, getting Azami out of the school will make it that much harder for him to get to Erina. We can work with that."

"That's assuming we succeed. Despite my optimism earlier, this isn't exactly the most coordinated of plans. We have no guarantee that we can all get onto the Council. We still have Nene-senpai and Eizan-senpai to worry about. And those other second years you mentioned." said Alice, biting her thumb.

"They shouldn't be a problem. The second years on Central's side won't be enough of a threat to any of us, not after the training we've received. Although I'm really going to owe Shinomiya-senpai a ton of volunteer hours once this is all over." said Sōma, frowning at the thought. The alumnus' help had not come cheaply. For every hour he'd spent training Hayama and Ryo, he demanded that Sōma volunteer in his restaurant for four hours once there was time for him to do so.

"But what about the second years that aren't on Central's side? There's at least sixty five second year students this year and Central only has about twenty. That still leaves about thirty to forty unaffiliated students. Unknowns. It's not farfetched to think that one or two of them may be skilled enough to slip through and beat one of us out of a seat."

Sōma laughed in response to her concern, which only caused her to turn and pout at him.

"How is this funny, Sōma-kun?! I'm being serious!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're right and it is! It's just…ok, did you ever wonder how Erina was able to get her seat on the Council? At the beginning of her first year, no less?" asked Sōma.

Alice shook her head, her bang swaying from side to side.

"Not particularly. Loathe as I am to admit it, Erina's skills are of a top notch and quite frankly ridiculous nature for our age. We've caught up, at least I'd like to think so, but still…she was on a completely different level from anyone in our age bracket, me included." Alice swivelled to point directly into Sōma's face. "And if you ever tell her I said that, I will deny it to my grave."

Sōma pulled the finger from in front of his nose but deigned to ignore her threat in favour of continuing his statement.

"Be that as it may, this is Tōtsuki. The Elite Ten should represent the ten best students of the year. Didn't it strike you as a bit odd that a starting freshman, albeit an immensely skilled one, could attain a seat of her own?"

"Not particularly. But then, I've always been used to Erina getting special treatment, so nothing seemed amiss to me. Are you trying to say she didn't deserve her seat?"

"Not exactly." said Sōma. "Erina was skilled. There's no question of that. But she was also aided, unwittingly so, by the 90th generation, Tsukasa-senpai and Rindō-senpai's class. Do you know what the 91st generation, Isshiki-senpai's generation, is called?"

Alice thought for a moment, tapping her chin ponderously, before shaking her head from side to side.

"No. I wasn't even aware that they had a particular title at all, actually." said Alice.

"Tōtsuki's 91st generation is known as the Cannibalized generation." said Sōma in a stage whisper, as if he was imparting some great secret. Alice glanced over at him, eyes wide.

"It is?" she asked in surprise. "I've never heard of it referred to as such."

"That's because it's not a very positive name. It's actually quite offensive to those that remain, as it reminds them of what they've lost. You see, the Cannibalized generation earned their moniker due to what the 90th Generation did to them during the 91st generation's freshman year."

"What did they do?" asked Alice, wondering how she could've not heard about something that had been drastic enough to brand the entire second year class.

"The 90th generation went out of their way to challenge and eliminate as much of the talent from the 91st as they could. Ostensibly, it was to sharpen their skills and make them better chefs but…"

Sōma sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Really, it was more out of selfishness than anything else. Rindō-senpai and Tsukasa-senpai had a lot to prove and they used the 91st to do it. In a similar way to how Isshiki-senpai's generation tested ours once the Stagiaire period had ended. Except they were playing for keeps. They'd offer exorbitant prizes; Council seats, money, whatever they could. Rindō-senpai even offered herself as a prize. More than once."

"Herself?" asked Alice, arching an eyebrow at her. "Why does that not surprise me?"

"Not like that, Alice." said Sōma, laughing. "She just offered a full day spent in her 'illustrious company', or so she says. She had quite the fan base before she…well…expelled them all. So, after all was said and done, the 91st generation was left as a skeleton of its former self. You had people like Isshiki-senpai and Nene-senpai who were smart enough or skilled enough to survive. And then you had the people who were too weak for the 90th generation to care about expelling but strong enough to survive things like the training camp and the Stagiaire period."

"Wow. I had no idea." said Alice thoughtfully. "I mean, we've beaten our fair share of second years but I always assumed there were more waiting in the wings that didn't feel like bothering to fight the fresh meat until we'd proven ourselves against the others."

"Nope. That's not the case here, luckily for us." said Sōma.

"And unluckily for them, I suppose." said Alice. It was a shame, really, but that was just the nature of Tōtsuki. Survival of the fittest. Kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten.

And soon, in just a few hours time, the process that would determine just who sat on the top of the food chain next year would begin. And Sōma still wasn't able to do so much as chop onions properly. Alice glanced over at him but he appeared perfectly at ease, humming as he looked around the forest path.

"I hope you can figure something out by 6:00 pm, Sōma-kun. Or else a seat will be the least of your worries." said Alice softly.

"What was that, Alice?"

"Nothing, nothing…" she said, following along behind Sōma and wondering, with a heavy heart, if this would be one of the last times she'd be able to.

* * *

 **A/N: Woohoo! So there was more I could've done here but I didn't want to unnecessarily bloat the chapter. Also, if any of you are looking at Sōma and going 'Hmmm. He seems really cheerful. Even for Sōma.' then that's good. You should be asking yourself why that may be, not that the answer's very difficult to deduce. You have all of the pieces.**

 **Something else to note: It's always bothered me how straight up inept the 2** **nd** **years have been made to look in the original manga. Pretty much every 2** **nd** **year outside of the Elite Ten is wrecked by the main cast. And I mean wrecked. The Survivor's Purge guys, the people that challenge Sōma post-Stagiaire, etc. I mean, Ryo and Megumi are one thing (as Top 8 Autumn Election candidates) but Ikumi? For canon Ikumi to beat a 2** **nd** **year, one specifically chosen by Central for his "strength" is ridiculous. Especially considering there were 30 other RS and Seminar heads that were beaten by the Central chefs** _ **in their own specialities**_ **. As we know, most RS leaders are current 2** **nd** **years. So this directly implies that the Central 2** **nd** **years are among the strongest, outside of the Elite Ten members. In addition, it also stretches my disbelief that a first year, fresh from middle school, would be awarded the tenth best spot in the school, God's tongue or no.**

 **And so I've made that a plot point. There's a reason they seem so weak, even considering the admittedly impressive talent of Sōma's generation. It's because their strongest were culled by Rindō, Tsukasa and their ilk on their ascent to the top during their second year, while Isshiki, Nene and the rest were cocky, little freshmen. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, please let me know what you think and I'll see you all next week!**


	22. Chapter 21

**A/N: This note is for those of you too busy/lazy/uninterested to read the longer, more feels infested author's notes below. TL; DR: Being First Seat for Reviews rocks and I love you guys for it! Hope you enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

"This still feels pretty underhanded of you, Rindō-senpai."

"Nonsense Nikumi-chan! It's only cheating if you get caught." assured Rindō, her arm slung around the younger girl's shoulders. The blond looked up from the files she was looking over to give Rindō a flat look. "Besides, it's not as if knowing what's coming is going to be of much help. This sort of brutish challenge is right up Saito-kun's ally."

"True. But that won't be the case for the other challenges. Or so I assume." said Ikumi, looking up to see the central Tōtsuki administration building in the distance. They were a few minutes away from it, at most.

"Does that mean you want me to stop helping you then?" asked Rindō innocently.

"I feel a little guilty. That doesn't mean I'm an idiot. If there's one thing you've taught me, it's to take every advantage you can." said Ikumi. While she didn't fully agree with such a ruthless mentality, Ikumi couldn't deny that, with something of this importance, she truly did need every single leg up she could get.

"Correct! I'm happy to see that at least some of the things I taught you have stuck, Nikumi-chan. I'm eager to see the fruits of my labour in you." Rindō said teasingly, giving the girl a condescending pat on the head. Ikumi glared at Rindō, pointedly shrugging her arm off and stepping away from her.

"I'm sure I'll do fine. For all your annoying traits, you're a surprisingly competent teacher." said Ikumi, closing the folder and tucking it under her arm. Rindō bristled at the slight, giving Ikumi a flat look of her own.

"I remember when you used to be scared of me." she said drily.

"And I remember when I didn't know what a hangover was." she shot back.

Rindō frowned exaggeratedly.

"Oh come now, that night was so much fun! I'm happy I was able to give you your first real bar experience."

"I'm sixteen!"

"So that makes you legal! In France anyway." said Rindō, shrugging.

"We started our night in Shinjuku and woke up in a field!" responded Ikumi heatedly, glaring at Rindō, who looked entirely unrepentant. She shrugged again, glancing at her watch.

"Oh come now, Nikumi-chan. It wasn't a field, per se."

"It had crops in it. Crops! What would you call it then?" asked Ikumi, rolling her eyes.

"A _garden_." pronounced Rindō haughtily, eyeing Ikumi over the rim of her sunglasses. Ikumi resisted the urge to grit her teeth, a habit she'd been forced to develop around the frustrating older girl. She closed her eyes, choosing to put it out of her mind rather than dwell on it. Things were easier with Rindō that way.

"What. Ever. How long are you going to be stuck wearing those things anyway? It's been almost a week since Alice-san kicked your ass."

Rindō sniffed primly, pushing the large, dark frames further up her nose.

"Firstly. She did not kick my ass. We had an altercation that was of a surprisingly physical nature."

"One that you lost." said Ikumi with a smirk.

"Secondly," continued Rindō, ignoring Ikumi's remark. "My talents lie in other areas. Whereas it's clear Snowflake-chan is nothing but a simple, unrefined brute in sheep's clothing."

Ikumi choked down a laugh and ignoring the baleful glare she got in return for it.

"The heaven sent child of molecular gastronomy? An unrefined brute? Please. You just got beat. Accept your loss gracefully instead of making excuses."

"There's a distinction between reasons and excuses, you know." said Rindō.

"Are you really going to make an excuse to justify you making excuses?" asked Ikumi incredulously. Rindō's grin was all the answer she needed. The dark skinned chef felt the urge to grind her teeth return and it felt like an almost physical effort to keep them apart. She chose to instead channel all of her irritation into a powerful glare that had absolutely no effect on Rindō. Unless you counted the smirk it provoked from the maroon haired girl.

Their arrival to the steps of the Tōtsuki Administration building forestalled any further needling on Rindō's part. Ikumi handed the manila folder back to her, looking up at the building.

"I've been here a couple of times before. But this time just feels…different." said Ikumi thoughtfully.

"This is the point of no return. Once you go in and submit your name, you're locked in." said Rindō. She glanced at Ikumi's contemplative expression. "A bit late to be having second thoughts though, just FYI."

Ikumi rolled her eyes.

"I'm not having second thoughts. I'm just appreciating the gravity of the moment. Once I'm done here, that means that, in a few short weeks, I'll be on the Elite Ten Council."

"Or just in second year. Or expelled." added Rindō helpfully. Ikumi didn't give the jibes any attention; they both knew they weren't true. Rindō had already told Ikumi that, between her surprising amount of raw talent and the lack of competent chefs in the 91st generation, Ikumi was a shoe in for one of the ten seats come next year.

"Well. I guess I better get this over with." said Ikumi, taking a deep breath. She started up the steps, only making it up the first two before pausing at Rindo's voice.

"Actually. Before you head inside. I have a question for you, Nikumi-chan."

Ikumi turned to face Rindō, who was eyeing her with an unreadable expression. There wasn't a hint of Rindō's usual levity or mischief in her face. She removed the sun glasses from her face, the slight discoloration around one of her eyes barely visible.

She fixed her gaze on Ikumi.

"Why are you doing this?"

Ikumi looked taken aback at the seriousness in Rindō's tone.

"Doing what?" she responded, almost instinctively.

"This."

Rindō didn't bother to further explain what she meant but Ikumi understood anyway. She folded her arms, almost defensively.

"You know why. You know what Sōma-kun's plan is; I need a seat on the council to be a part of it."

"That's obvious, Ikumi-chan. I'm asking why go through this? Why go through deceiving all of your friends and subjecting yourself to my _tender_ mercies for over a month? For some guy?" said Rindō calmly, as if she was talking about the weather or lunch plans.

"Sōma-kun's not just some guy." bit out Ikumi, glaring at Rindō. "He's different and you know it."

"He's still hopelessly in love with that snowflake, you know. He's not going to give you a second look. Not that he ever gave you a first one." said Rindō, her tone still placid.

Ikumi's glare sharpened and she took a step towards Rindō aggressively.

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that it's pretty pathetic for you to go to these lengths out of misplaced affection." said Rindō bluntly. "Sōma-kun's never going to like you in the way you like him."

"And just what way is that, Rindō-senpai? Please inform me since you seem to know so much." said Ikumi angrily. Rindō scoffed.

"Oh please. I could see you were in love with him from the second I saw how you acted around him. You'd have to be blind not to see it."

"And just why do you care? Why, after all this time, are you so concerned when you've never once asked me about any of this before?" asked Ikumi.

"I can assure you that I don't care at all." said Rindō dispassionately. "But I also can't stand stupidity. And you're being very, very stupid if you think any of this is going to get you any closer to Sōma-kun."

"And you think I don't know that?" asked Ikumi. "This isn't some ploy or manipulation to get Sōma-kun into my arms. I stopped thinking that was possible a long time ago."

"You did?" asked Rindō, her stoic demeanour broken by surprise. She was surprised that she, of all people, hadn't noticed the shift in Ikumi's affections but she hadn't exactly had ample opportunity to observe interactions between the two recently. Perhaps that was more purposeful than she'd thought? Ikumi sighed, looking away from Rindō's curious eyes as she thought back.

"It was a few weeks ago. I bumped into Sōma on the path home from school one afternoon and he had his chain off. He said it was because he wanted to really enjoy the scenery. We got to talking. Just chatting; casual conversation. We talked about classes and homework and the latest chapter of a manga I was reading It was…nice. To have a conversation that didn't involve politics or shokugekis or Central."

More of Ikumi's anger left her gaze.

"And then we got to the mansion gates. And Alice-san was waiting outside. I was looking straight at him when he turned to look at her and I saw his face change. It wasn't anything overt or cheesy, like in the movies. I just saw him smile this really small smile at her; this gentle, soft smile and his eyes…"

Ikumi broke off, looking away from Rindō entirely.

"That's when I knew I'd never get him. At least not while Alice-san is around."

"Then why not work around her?" asked Rindō curiously. Ikumi looked back at Rindō warily. The older girl shrugged.

"Nothing's set in stone. You have to fight for what you want in this world, Nikumi-chan."

Ikumi began to speak, eyeing Rindō carefully.

"You're telling me that I should've just tried and…what, seduce Sōma out of his relationship? When he was clearly in love with Alice-san already? That seems like a good idea to you?"

"Why not? It would be more likely to get you results than sitting around, doing nothing and pining after him like a lost puppy." said Rindō. Ikumi shook her head.

"I'm not pining after him. Not anymore. Between knowing he was head over heels for Alice and that he slept with you; I've come a long way towards moving on." she said. Rindō gestured to the imposing Administration building.

"Then we've come full circle to my original question; why do all of this? Why not back out when you saw that Sōma and Snowflake were well on their way to having a merry little time together?"

"Because Sōma-kun's still my friend. And I don't need anything in exchange for helping my friends." said Ikumi, turning to continue up the stairs. "That's where you and I really differ, Rindō-senpai. It pays to think about more than just your own selfish desires."

It wasn't until Ikumi had entered the building and shut the doors behind her that Rindō spoke.

"Why do people keep telling me that?" she asked the empty air.

"Something on your mind, Kobayashi-kun?"

Or what she thought was empty air. Rindō turned to face the blandly smiling face of Nakiri Azami. He was clad in his usual dark ensemble, a walking stick held in his hand for appearances more than anything else.

"It's nothing, Azami-sama." said Rindō. "Just doing some…self-reflection, I suppose you'd call it."

"I see. A valuable activity, to be certain. How can you truly know others without knowing yourself first?" said Azami politely. "It's surprising how often the way we view ourselves can change when we truly understand what we want and what motivates us."

Rindō shrugged disinterestedly, shoving her hands into her pockets as she descended the steps.

"I guess. That kinda stuff is a bit too deep for me to think about this early in the morning Azami-sama, I'll be honest."

Azami gave a soft laugh, moving past Rindō as he walked up the steps.

"I see. Well, have yourself a good morning then, Kobayashi-kun. I trust I'll see you tonight?"

Rindō threw a hand over her shoulder flippantly.

"Maybe. If I'm interested enough."

Azami watched Rindō walk away, tapping his chin in thought. The girl had been amongst his most avid supporters once upon a time but her enthusiasm had waned in the following months. He'd assumed it was simple boredom on her part but things had been anything but boring for her after she'd began amusing herself with Sōma.

Perhaps there was more than simple boredom here. Regardless, she would be a non-issue soon enough. Graduation was only a few weeks away.

Azami's phone rang and he glanced at the screen, accepting the call with a swipe of his thumb.

" _Good morning, Azami-sama. You were trying to reach me?_ "

"Etsuya-kun. I require your aid. And the aid of a few members of that little ragtag group you command." said Azami.

" _Of course, Azami-sama. Anything you need._ "

"I will have one of the servants alert you when Yukihira Sōma leaves the Nakiri mansion for Somei-kun's challenge this evening. I need him stopped. You will not let him go until I personally call you and give you the word to."

" _I understand. May I ask what degree of force I can permit of my men?_ "

"That's a rather foolish question." commented Azami idly.

The silence that followed made Azami laugh, although he was careful to ensure that no sound escaped his lips. Etsuya Eizan. A competent man of finance in his own right but a pitiful excuse for even the wannabe Yakuza boss he was trying to emulate.

" _Azami-sama…I don't presume that you mean-_ "

"I only need him delayed." commented Azami, his tone absent of any joviality. "I don't need him in the hospital. Are we clear?"

" _Crystal._ "

"Good. And Estuya-kun, I'd like you to be there in person."

" _But Azami-sama, the Selection-_ "

"You don't need to be there for the full duration of Sōma's incapacitation. I just need you to ensure that your subordinates actually do a proper job this time. I will inform Somei-kun that you will be delayed. As long as you arrive before six o'clock, you will be fine."

Without another word, Azami hung up the phone, slipping it into his pocket. While a fiscal boon to the school, Eizan's more unsavoury tendencies were nothing but an annoyance to Azami. Not because of their nature but because of the extremely naïve manner in which they were executed.

When he'd heard of that farce of a forced eviction Eizan had engineered, he'd been seconds away from dismissing Eizan from Tōtsuki altogether. What was the fool thinking? If any of the dorm residents had gotten injured, the ensuing lawsuits would've been a severe blow to both Tōtsuki's pocket and reputation. The media scandal alone from such a thing would've been catastrophic. Only the knowledge that he still needed the support of his seat held him at bay from expelling Eizan on the spot. Especially when that smug dorm mother had come in to bill him for the damages.

 _Oh, Nakamura-kun. I always told you you'd end up a ghost if you didn't get more sun and now look at you! All grown up but still a boy where it counts. Oh, and be a dear and make sure you don't skimp on any of those repairs; I'll be watching the invoices like a hawk._

And then she'd patted him on the head. Him!

Azami clenched his fist even while his face remained completely calm. He hated anything that reminded him of what he used to be; even Saiba-senpai was no exception. Whenever he called him Nakamura, Azami had to resist the urge to lash out in a manner most unbecoming of someone of his station. And Fumio was nothing but one large reminder of what he used to be; of the child he'd been.

Becoming a Nakiri had been a crucial first step into the world he was supposed to be born into. And he'd only continued moving forward since then; taking step after step towards creating the ideal culinary world he'd always envisioned. A world of cuisine that excluded those without the power and wealth to be a rightful part of it. Those that didn't work hard enough to become worthy of being served the delicacies that only he could provide; the dishes that he would impart into the students under him.

Even Tōtsuki, for all its grandeur, was but a first step in an ultimately larger design. He would start with Japan's culinary industry; the influence he wielded as both Nakiri Azami, the businessman and Nakiri Azami, the Tōtsuki director, would be more than enough to pressure restaurants the nation over. He was no fool; he knew it would take time. Years. Decades, even. But it would happen.

As the value of his teachings became clear, Japan would become known as the food capital of the entire world. And his ideal would spread. The core values of Central that transcend things like country of origin and region specific dishes will permeate the rest of the cooking world as they seek to emulate the crown jewel that is the Japanese nation.

* * *

Sōma frowned, staring deeply into the full length mirror he kept inside his room. He tilted his head, glaring at the glass and poking his tongue out.

The reflection looked back at him flatly, its expression unchanged. It wore a dark black Tōtsuki uniform ensemble. A black jacket, a black shirt, black pants and black shoes. The only speck of colour on its form was the bright silver chain pattern tattoo on its wrist. Even Sōma's characteristic red hair was a dull black in the mirror while his eyes were a muted grey.

Sōma looked down at himself, at the plain white uniform shirt and dark blue pants he wore. He tugged a lock of his hair into view, noting the bright red sheen of it.

He knew his reflection didn't actually resemble a monochrome version of his chained persona. He was sure that, were anyone else to look in the mirror, they'd simply see Sōma frowning at himself. He knew what he saw was representative and associated with his divided mental state, more than anything else.

But all the rationalization in the world didn't make it any less unsettling.

Sōma waved but the reflection's arms remained folded. He simply continued staring at Sōma, unmoved. Sōma stopped waving and sighed, staring back.

"What exactly do you want?"

As usual, no response was forthcoming. Sōma pulled a chair up, sitting down and folding his hands beneath his chin. The reflection deigned to remain standing, silently.

"Come on man. We can't come this far just to fail now. What will the last few months have been about then?"

The only response Sōma got was a slow, languid blink. Sōma gritted his teeth, clenching his fists before shrugging and exhaling as the frustration he felt faded, unnaturally quickly. As had been happening ever since he'd regained control, his negative emotions simply kept being siphoned off into his other half. Not that he appeared any worse for wear as a result of it.

At first, it had been intentional. He'd needed to do it to ensure things remained unbalanced, in his favour. But, as time had went on, the process became more and more automatic. Now, even if he tried, he couldn't hold on to anything in that vein. Anger, fear, frustration, sadness, hate…it all just faded and trickled down. Out of sight and out of mind.

"Listen. I know you can't be completely okay with what's about to happen. We've got an obligation to Erina. And to Katsumi-san. I need you to play ball." he said, scratching behind his head sheepishly.

The reflection didn't move. He just continued to stare, as he always did when Sōma was unlucky enough to catch sight of a mirror. Sōma sighed again, rubbing at his face with his hands. He knew his eyes were probably bloodshot and the bags around them had probably come back in full force. He'd been at this for so long. He hadn't even slept the night before. He'd been talking to himself for hours without a break, unless you counted that little visit to Polar Star which had taken more energy than it should've.

Sōma looked over at the alarm clock on his bedside table. The red numbers indicating that it was five o'clock in the afternoon stared back at him, almost mockingly. Saito's challenge was due to start in less than an hour.

"There has to be something you want; something _I_ want, I guess? Help me out here. What's the point of being able to hallucinate you like this if there isn't?" Sōma asked, throwing his hands to the air even as his minor bout of irritation evaporated like mist in the morning air.

The silence, while not unexpected, was just as perplexing as ever. Sōma wasn't exactly an expert but he knew that his other side was still him. He'd taken several parts but he was still intelligent and capable of speech. He still had feelings and the ability to express them. He was being mute by choice. And that wasn't very helpful.

"Sōma-kun, any progress?"

Sōma looked backwards at where Alice was poking her head into the room. He shook his head, glancing at his reflection to find that it hadn't moved in response to Alice's voice. He'd tried asking her for help once or twice but he'd seen no noticeable change and the uncomfortably sad expression on her face as he kept talking into the mirror hurt him to see.

"Nothing. I'm still trying a few things but…"

Sōma trailed off, unsure of what he could say. He'd tried all he could think of, if he was being completely honest. Nothing stuck and nothing worked. He was out of options and out of time, and he knew it. Based on Alice's expression, she knew it too.

"We should leave now, if we want to make it to the hall in time." she said softly. What she didn't say was whether it even made sense for Sōma to attend at this point. Sōma gave his reflection one last, baleful glance before getting to his feet. He shrugged on his Tōtsuki jacket, giving Alice a grin.

"Don't worry, Alice. I've always come through, even if it's at the very last minute, right?"

Alice gave Sōma a weak smile, not nearly as optimistic as he was. This wasn't the same and they both knew it.

Sōma strode past her, tugging at her sleeve playfully.

"Well, let's go then."

Alice followed after him, wanting to protest his optimistic nonchalance but not sure how it would help. She decided to simply be silent as they exited Sōma's room and headed towards the entrance. Through the hallways, they passed several members of the regular serving staff, going about their duties as normal. They didn't notice the single maid that watched them through an upstairs window, carefully noting which footpath they were taking as she dialed into a phone.

Sōma and Alice continued down the path towards Tōtsuki; discussing idle matters while both tacitly ignoring their larger issues. Sōma was in the middle of pointing out a set of blossoming tsubaki flowers when he noticed the group of young men approaching them. The expressions on their faces made warning bells ring in the back of his head. And when he saw the rope in one's hand and the bat in another's, those bells turned into sirens. He didn't notice the way his other side stirred in response, reacting for the first time in days.

Etsuya Eizan rounded a tree, smirking at Sōma from across the small pathway as he came to a stop, blocking his path. The four other delinquents fanned out on either side of him, completely blocking the way.

Sōma came to a stop, stepping in front of Alice as he took note of the leers the opposing group was giving them. The low chuckles emanating from them were also anything but friendly.

"Etsuya-senpai. Good day. How can I help you?"

Despite his current state, Sōma still managed to produce the flat, emotionless tone that he'd become known for. Eizan shrugged languidly.

"Following orders, Yukihira. Azami-sama asked me to detain you for a while; he seems to think there's no need for you to attend Saito-senpai's trial."

Sōma arched an eyebrow, his expression unchanging, even as he wondered just what this was about. Was this a punishment for the loss to Polar Star? Was Azami suspicious of him and what he was doing? It wasn't impossible. But it also wasn't very likely.

He didn't bother responding to Eizan directly, instead going for his phone and dialling a number.

" _Good day Sōma-kun. How can I help you?_ "

"Azami-sama. Etsuya-senpai informed me that you would prefer I wasn't in attendance for the trial tonight."

" _Ah, that. I'd forgotten to inform you, please accept my apologies. I don't think it's necessary for you to attend Somei-kun's challenge._ "

"Do you doubt my skill?" asked Sōma calmly, even as he glanced around at Eizan's subordinates, who seemed to be inching closer and closer.

" _Quite the opposite. I have no doubt you would perform well. However I would prefer to use this opportunity to allow those who haven't had the chance to prove themselves to take a step forward. Between your current seat and Kobayashi-kun's nomination, you are all but assured to have a seat on the Council come next year._ "

"You could've simply asked me to sit this challenge out." said Sōma, testing the waters more than anything else.

" _You and I both know that you're much too competitive for that, Sōma-kun._ "

The smugness in Azami's voice was almost tangible. Sōma gritted his teeth, feeling the phone creak under his fingers. Azami knew. Or at the very least suspected enough to be willing to sacrifice Sōma's progression as Central's premier enforcer.

"I would urge you to reconsider, Azami-sama."

" _I've never been one to listen to my urges, Sōma-kun. Give Etsuya-kun my regards and do try and cooperate. It will be easier for everyone that way._ "

And with that, the line went dead. Sōma placed the phone in his pocket, sighing to himself. He felt like he should've been more frustrated or angry or even afraid but all he could muster was a sense of tiredness as his emotions drained away to his other side.

"Hey, boss. What about the girl?" asked the thug closest to Eizan's right. Sōma tensed as he realized he meant Alice. Eizan looked over at the Nakiri, who was still standing behind Sōma. She had a calm, serious expression on her face and seemed entirely unconcerned with the situation.

Eizan looked at Alice curiously. Azami hadn't left any orders regarding his niece. Eizan could simply let her pass. He was about to order his men to let her do just that but then he paused to think. Alice was one of the best chefs in her generation; especially recently. He'd heard the rumours that the first seat himself had helped tutor both her and Yukihira. And while she may not be as absurdly monstrous as him or her cousin, she was a powerhouse in her own right. A potential obstacle and opponent to his progression for next year.

And Eizan wasn't in the habit of leaving loose ends.

"Detain her as well." said Eizan. The only reaction his order got was a nod from his men and a raised eyebrow from Alice.

He turned to face both of them, crossing his arms smugly. He didn't bother to resist the urge to smile a bit too widely at them; he'd been told it looked quite intimidating.

"Now. As Azami-sama said, if you cooperate, things will go smoothly. You can stand here and have a nice chat with my men while I go on to the challenge. Once Saito-senpai announces your disqualification, I'll send a text message to Hyo-kun here and you'll be free to enjoy the rest of your evening. Alright?"

Eizan turned without waiting for acknowledgement, continuing down the path towards Tōtsuki.

"That's not how this is going to go down, Eizan-senpai."

Eizan turned to face Alice, who was glaring at him from where she had stepped out from behind Sōma.

"Your goons are going to move out of our way. Or we're going to move **through** them."

Eizan blinked in surprise at the threat in her tone before almost immediately laughing.

"Alice, I don't think this is a good idea…"

Sōma turned to look at Alice, his tone filled with warning. She brushed past him, waving off his concern as she faced Eizan, who was still chuckling. He adjusted his glasses, his smile not lessening in the slightest as he gestured towards his men, who were also laughing at her words.

"I'm sorry; should I be frightened? Do you think your little boyfriend is enough to take on four of my best men?" he asked.

The fierce smirk on Alice's face made Eizan falter. As did her following statement.

"Sōma-kun is the least of their worries."

* * *

Ryo checked his watch, noting that it was already five twenty five. He'd tried calling Alice several times, and he'd even tried to call Sōma once, but neither of them had picked up. For not the first time, he regretted leaving the mansion early to get a feel for their competition. He'd asked Alice if she'd wanted to come but she'd simply told him to go ahead without her. She hadn't said it but Ryo was sure her delay was related to Sōma, somehow.

He stood in lecture hall B of the West hall. He was propped up against a desk, idly watching the other gathered students circulate and converse. There were just over a hundred students present, by his estimation. They all sat in pockets of twos and threes, the tense atmosphere of the room lending itself to conversations had in whispers. He recognized most of the participants, although there were a few that he didn't.

"Good day, Kurokiba-kun."

Ryo turned to face Tadokoro Megumi, who bowed shortly at him. He simply nodded in return.

"Yo."

Megumi smiled cheerfully.

"How are you doing?" she asked politely. "Are you excited for today's challenge?"

"Not really. It should be pretty easy for me." he said. Upon hearing a noise, he craned his neck to look over to the entrance doors of the hall but it was simply another pair of students. Second years by the look of it.

"Oh, I see. So then…you…"

Megumi looked over her shoulders before leaning in, whispering conspiratorially.

"You know what the challenge is going to be as well then?"

Ryo nodded.

"Yup. Alice-ojou told me. It shouldn't be a problem for me, considering what I've had to work with in the past. Although I do wonder how some of you smaller cooks will fair."

The pointed, lazy look he gave Megumi made her flush. She fiddled with her fingers nervously.

"Well, I wouldn't underestimate me just yet, Kurokiba-kun. I'm stronger than I look." she said.

Ryo was sure she was. After all, not just anyone could heft around a goosefish the way she had in the Autumn Election preliminaries. He'd heard that the specimen in question was almost her size and he had to admit that, port town chef to port town chef, he was impressed.

"Whatever." was all he said, although his tone wasn't condemning. "Tadokoro-san, out of curiosity, do you have any idea where Yukihira is?"

Megumi tilted her head questioningly at him.

"Um…no. I assumed he'd be with you and Alice-san, since you all live together. I was actually wondering why I hadn't seen them yet."

"They're coming. Alice-ojou isn't always the best with time but I'm sure they'll be here." said Ryo, choosing not to mention that Alice, for all her supposed carelessness, was never late when it counted. And this certainly did. "Who else out of our year is competing?"

Megumi turned to scan the room, pointing out each person she recognized as she spoke their name. Ryo took a mental note of each one as he followed her finger.

Hayama stood alone, leaning against a far wall. His eyes were closed and a cinnamon stick was held beneath his nose.

The Aldini brothers stood against a wall speaking to, of all people, Mimasaka Subaru. The dreadlocked chef was laughing at something Isami said that left Takumi shouting and glaring at his younger brother.

Shun was conversing with Erina, near the back of the lecture hall. Ikumi sat near them but she wasn't involved in the discussion. Her eyes were closed and she tapped her empty hip, conscious of her cleaver's absence.

A chime from the clock on the wall drew everyone's attention. It was five thirty. The doors at the back of the hall opened almost immediately after, admitting entrance to Saito's broad shouldered, looming frame. His eyes appeared to be closed, even as he walked down the center of the aisle towards the front of the room. He needn't worry about obstacles, as every student even remotely in his path ensured that they weren't post haste.

He stopped at the desk, his back facing the assorted crowd. The large sword he held over his shoulder clanked softly as he took it from his shoulder and set it down on the desk. He turned around to face the crowd as he sat against the desk, crossing his arms.

"What does it mean to be a chef at this school?"

The question was spoken softly but it travelled throughout the silence of the room easily. No one responded immediately; instead choosing to turn around and see if someone else would prefer to speak first.

"It means that you're among the best of the best. And that you seek to be even better than that."

The person who'd spoken up was Nakiri Erina. She stood near the back of the room, looking down on the rest of the hall.

Saito didn't say anything at first; he simply kept his eyes closed and his head down, as if in thought.

"A good answer. Anyone else?"

"A chef's duty is to please the customer. To satisfy their needs, whatever they may be. The fact that we're students doesn't change that."

This answer was spoken by Megumi, who was looking back at Saito with a determined expression on her face. He didn't react to her answer, other than to nod in acknowledgement.

"The kitchen is a battlefield; where chefs put up or shut up."

This answer was Ryo's.

Slowly, one by one, other students responded to Saito's inquiry. He sat silently, listening to the various answers given until he simply raised one hand. The room quieted almost instantly at the gesture.

"You all have a variety of opinions. Now let me tell you a truth. You are all adequate chefs already; good chefs, even. As you are, you could go out into the world and work at a number of restaurants and do a much better job than the chefs around you, as I'm sure you all learnt in the Stagiaire period."

Saito's eyes opened and steely grey, hawk-like orbs stared back at them with an intensity that belied his relaxed posture.

"But to truly shine; to truly be one of the best of the best, you must be able to face adversity of any kind; you must be able to put your best onto the plate, no matter the circumstances. Nothing short of hospitalization should stop you from wielding your full strength in the battlefield that is the kitchen, and that is what my challenge will embody today."

The tension in the room had noticeably increased by the time Saito had finished his statement. But it wasn't a tension borne of fear or nervousness. This was one of excitement and ambition; the passion embodied by those that strove to be part of the one percent.

"In the spirit of overcoming adversity, I've provided you all with the utensils and ingredients you are permitted to use, set out across the cooking stations of blocks A through C. Each station has an identical array of materials. Some will be subpar; some will be even below that and a select few of that subset will be what I've deemed Hazardous. Ingredients and utensils that are in such poor condition, the use of them in any professional kitchen could be potentially hazardous to a person's health. Any use of Hazardous materials will earn you an immediate expulsion from Tōtsuki."

Saito's words surprised many of the students and it showed on their faces. His eyes narrowed and he glared at the room collectively, managing to impress the full weight of his gaze on each of them simultaneously.

"Make no mistake. Any chef foolish enough to use something like that in a dish is more than just incompetent; they're a danger. To both those that eat their food and those that hire them. Do you know how easy it is for one simple, ill prepared cut of meat to ruin a reputation that a restaurant has been working towards for years, if not decades? There's no place in Tōtsuki, let alone in the Elite Ten, for such a person."

Saito stood, swinging his sword back over his shoulder.

"The challenge is soup. It doesn't matter what kind of soup you make, as long as you only use the materials I've provided for you. Any attempt to use outside contraband will also earn you an expulsion. The time limit is two and a half hours. It's now five forty. Feel free to make your way to the kitchens and use the remaining time to examine what exactly you will have to work with. Although, be warned, any attempt to start preparations before six will also earn you an expulsion."

"Geez, what wouldn't earn you one?" muttered a student seated near the front in a baseball cap and shades.

Saito glanced down but didn't comment, instead choosing to walk towards the kitchen doors.

"I am the sole judge for this challenge. When you are done, simply signal to me and I will taste your dish and give you a grade from one to twenty, though I won't be sharing the results with you. It is only at the end of the Elite Ten Selection process that your respective ratings will be made known. Dismissed."

Saito continued walking, hearing the shuffle of students behind him as they got on their feet and prepared to follow him through the doors.

"Ah, wait Saito-senpai!"

Saito turned to face Megumi, who looked nervously up at him.

"Did you need something, Tadokoro-san?" he asked placidly.

"Um…it's just that a few of our friends who are participating haven't arrived yet, I was wondering if it would be possible for you…to…wait…on…."

Megumi stopped talking, cowed by the look that Saito was giving her. He'd opened his eyes once again and was simply staring down at her with a face of stone.

"Um…that is…"

Megumi tried to continue but her tongue practically tied itself when he arched one slim eyebrow at her. She looked around for help but saw that her friends were still near the back at the room. She tried to speak a third time but was cut off by Saito's low chuckle.

"Relax, Tadokoro-san. I won't eat you. As far as your tardy friends; while it is my inclination to disqualify them, I'm under orders from Azami-sama to allow Etsuya late entry. As long as they arrive before six, I will admit them as well."

Saito noted the confused expression on Megumi's face.

"I won't extend my deadline any further than that, even if you beg." he said bluntly.

Megumi waved her hands frantically, shaking her head.

"N-No! Of course not, Saito-senpai, that's not it! It's just…I don't really understand why you would extend my friends the same courtesy as Eizan-senpai." she said hesitantly. Saito hummed in understanding and began to speak.

"It's because my arena is, among many other things, fair. I can't evaluate your true worth as a chef without ensuring that you are all on the same playing field."

"Oh, I see. That's wonderful, thank you so much, Saito-senpai." said Megumi, bowing to the older student. She turned and walked over to Ryo, who was sitting alone at the same desk that he'd been at for Saito's address.

He looked up at Megumi with his usual, bored expression but his eyebrows rose once she told him just what the fifth seat had told her. It surprised him. Somei Saito didn't seem the type to offer concessions but he shrugged, simply accepting the stroke of luck. He went to check his watch again but then the double doors at the back of the room opened and he turned to look.

"Ah, there they are!" said Megumi excitedly. She stepped past Ryo, waving to Alice and Sōma before stopping.

"Oh my…Sōma-kun!"

Ryo's eyes sharpened at the tone in Megumi's voice and he stood to face the entrance. His eyes widened.

Sōma was standing at the entrance to the room. His clothes were dirty and scuffed; his jacket hung open with half of the buttons torn clean off and his shirt was rumpled, the collar pointing erratically in one direction. His hair was also a mess; even more so than usual and his knuckles were bruised.

Alice, by contrast, didn't appear dirty at all. But the expression on her face was one Ryo wasn't used to seeing. It was a look of caution, discomfort and fear. All directed at the red headed boy beside her.

Ryo felt himself moving forward, a familiar rage taking hold as he walked up to face Sōma. He didn't bother paying attention to the glassy eyes the other boy turned on him or the fact that he stepped in front of Alice protectively.

"What did you do to her?"

Ryo's tone was more snarl than spoken word. Sōma didn't respond, except to take another step putting himself firmly in between Ryo and Alice.

"Answer me Yukihira."

Ryo felt the edges of his self-control fraying as his mind raced; what could he have done now? What could this mentally fucked up asshole of an ex-boyfriend have done to her to have Alice looking at him like that?

Ryo stepped forward and found his way barred by Sōma's hand. He'd barely seen the motion but a hand was almost gently resting against his chest.

Ryo noted the damage on the knuckles; the kind of bruising that could only be done by hitting something. He looked past Sōma's head to where Alice was looking over his shoulder and noticed a glaring detail he'd managed to miss in his initial assessment. Something that had been hidden behind Alice's bang.

The angry red and purple mark on the left side of her face.

Ryo saw white.

* * *

The familiar looking boy with the angry eyes leapt forwards, slipping past Sōma's hand. Sōma crouched, thrusting his shoulder into his chest to arrest his momentum and turn it to the side, allowing the red eyed young man to fall past him and to the side.

Away from her.

Sōma turned, swivelling until he stood in between them again. His hands were held out in a threatening stance now; he'd been fine with simply standing in close proximity but now he'd proven to be aggressive and Sōma wasn't taking any chances. He would disable him, just as he did the others.

"Yukihira!"

The red eyed boy sprung to his feet, before immediately moving forward in a stance that seemed practiced but sloppy. His anger was inhibiting him. Sōma could use that. He stepped forward, matching the boy's advance. He blocked the first blow with both arms; leaving a large hole in the defense of his non-dominant side as he shifted, seemingly to get his bearings.

The red eyed boy saw the opportunity and struck, committing to a straight punch to Sōma's left side that impacted solidly against his ribs. The surprise on his face made it clear that he'd been expecting some sort of reaction. Sōma had tensed his torso muscles in preparation; the boy's fist meeting hardened muscle as opposed to soft flesh.

"What the fuck?"

Sōma stepped in, almost intimately close. He thrust his right arm forward and upwards; the palm of his hand rushing to meet his opponent's nose. He felt his hand hit but only barely; the other boy had stepped back reflexively, a move that had saved him from what would have undoubtedly been a broken nose.

Sōma's follow up jab with his left arm to the boy's solar plexus caught him completely off guard. The red eyed boy stepped back, anger warring with pain as he struggled to catch his breath. Sōma noted that, despite the blow, he still stood. He hadn't even fallen to his knees, which indicated a troubling amount of resilience. He would have to be more thorough.

"What the- Yukihira! Kurokiba! What's going on?"

Sōma ignored the voices around him, other than to glance quickly at where Alice stood. No one had stepped towards her in an aggressive manner; the closest was a blue haired girl and the concern on her face was hardly a threatening move. He felt comfortable taking the time needed to deal with the current, sole aggressor.

Sōma stepped forward, crossing the short distance between them in two quick steps, even as the other boy continued to wheeze. He lashed out, striking at him with a palm thrust that he only barely dodged. Sōma stepped forward again, another palm thrust causing the angry eyed boy to take another step back, still struggling to catch his break.

"Yu…Yukihira, you're going to-"

Sōma rushed forward again, uncaring of the words he was speaking. He could listen when this was over. His aggressive maneuver caught the dark haired boy off guard and he stepped back a third time, stumbling into the chair that Sōma had been leading him towards. Sōma glimpsed the briefest expression of surprise on his face as his leg caught the chair's and then Sōma was on him, turning the boy's brief stumble into a throw, slamming the boy into the floor as he wrenched an arm behind his back.

"Oh my god! Sōma-kun, stop it, let him go!"

Sōma glanced over, hearing Alice's voice. She stood nearby, that same expression of terror on her face that Sōma had seen in the forest. He faltered, briefly, his desire to protect her conflicting with his desire to make her happy.

"He'll be fine, Alice. I'm perfectly capable of dislocating his shoulder without causing any undue damage."

"Sōma-kun, no! Don't you dare!" shouted Alice.

Sōma felt the boy struggle beneath him and he applied more pressure, eliciting a cry of pain. He really should just go ahead and do it. The longer he held him like this; the more likely it became that he would struggle in just the wrong way and end up hurting himself even further. An unfortunate outcome but one Sōma would accept, if needed.

"He wasn't trying to do anything to me; he wasn't trying to hurt me. He would never do something like that and you know it!"

Sōma thought back; the red eyed boy's actions did seem targeted specifically to him. He hadn't so much as glanced as Alice.

Sōma's grip eased, just slightly. Such proactive measures may not be needed. He could handle being hurt because he misjudged a situation and was a bit too lax in how he approached his own safety but he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen to Alice. But if Alice's assessment was correct, then this boy was no threat to her. Only him.

Sōma could deal with that.

His grip eased even further but, as the other boy began to struggle, he suddenly doubled the pressure, the movement ceasing as quickly as it began as the angry eyed boy grunted in pain.

"I will release you on the count of three. If you take any motions to harm myself or Alice, I cannot guarantee your safety. Do you understand me?"

"Fuck…Fuck you, Yukihira."

Sōma looked to Alice, who sighed sadly, shaking her head at him.

"Take that as a yes, Sōma-kun. It's fine, I promise."

Sōma shrugged, accepting. He would be here anyway. And he would have no trouble restraining the boy a second time.

"One…two…three."

Sōma released the dark haired boy, getting to his feet in a smooth motion. He idly adjusted his jacket, absently noting its condition. The brief scuffle had not done the damaged material any favours. Alice went to move past Sōma but he stuck his arm out.

"Alice, are you certain of-"

"Yes. I am, Sōma-kun." she snapped impatiently, moving past his arm to crouch beside the dark haired boy. Sōma didn't argue further, although he kept a careful eye on the young man as he got to his knees, shaking his arm out as Alice talked softly to him. He glared daggers at Sōma but Sōma paid it no mind. There weren't any weapons in convenient range of him and Sōma was confident of his ability to handle him in close quarters.

Sōma glanced around at the crowd that their confrontation had drawn for any signs of aggression. He noted the looks of fear and curiosity absentmindedly but saw nothing of concern to him. That was good. Perhaps he could-

"Yukihira-kun?"

Sōma turned, striking out with a fist. His hand impacted the solid wood of a sheath. Sōma drew back, stepping backwards into a defensive posture as he stared at the tall male before him. The sword and odd hairstyle seemed familiar to Sōma; just as the other boy's angry eyes had.

"Can I help you with something?"

Diplomacy was preferable; the other party was armed. And armed well. The swordsman looked over at where Alice was helping the dark haired boy to his feet. She had her arm comfortingly around his shoulder and Sōma noted that the aggression he'd witnessed seemed to have left; the boy wasn't a danger, currently. Although he had clear potential to be.

"May I ask why you attacked Kurokiba-kun?" the swordsman asked, seemingly unconcerned that Sōma had just attempted to do the same to him.

Sōma thought; he'd jumped to what may have been a hasty conclusion true, but that didn't change the initial impetus.

"He attacked me first."

The swordsman looked over at the red eyed boy, who was glaring daggers at Sōma from where he leaned against Alice's shoulder.

"Is this true, Kurokiba-kun?" he asked.

"…yes. It is."

The dark haired boy's response was grudging and muttered through gritted teeth. The swordsman looked at the clock on the wall.

"Be that as it may; my challenge starts in five minutes. And while Yukihira-kun escalated the incident, it was Kurokiba-kun that started it. I could just disqualify the both of you but I'm sure neither of you want that. So I will allow you entry, though a second incident will be met with harsh retribution. Now go and prepare."

Without another word, the swordsman walked through the doors leading to the kitchens. The crowd that had gathered trickled after him until only a few were left standing around them. Sōma looked around at the crowd, noting the many familiar faces he saw there. He knew these people; he was sure he did. But he just couldn't make the connection.

"Good afternoon. My apologies for the disturbance."

There. That should help do something about the concerned looks they were all giving him. He turned to look at Alice, who was conversing with the dark haired young man in soft tones.

"Alice, we should really go in and begin preparing."

She looked up at him hesitantly.

"Ah, right. Let's go then, Sōma-kun."

Alice moved to walk towards Sōma but the dark haired boy reached out and grabbed her wrist. Before Sōma could step forward and break his own, Alice slipped out of his grip, moving to Sōma's side. She held a hand out in warning, stopping Sōma from moving forward.

"You're just going to take this psycho's side, Alice?"

The red eyed boy's voice was incredulous. His fists were clenched and he looked almost hurt.

"Ryo-kun. This isn't the time. Please, let's just go inside. We can talk about this later."

Sōma looked down at Alice in concern; she still sounded more withdrawn and cautious than he was used to.

"This guy does that to your face and you're just letting it slide?" the dark haired boy asked bitterly.

Sōma looked over at the red eyed boy. Did he…would he really suggest that…

Sōma's feet began to move towards the red eyed boy and a slim, blond boy stepped in front of him, barring his path. A larger, stockier brown haired boy stood at his shoulder. The blonde looked at him warily.

"That's far enough, Yukihira. Just go inside. We can deal with this later, as Alice-san said."

"Yea, come on man. Just relax." said the brunette calmly.

Sōma glared between them at the red eyed boy who was himself being held back by a hand on his shoulder that belonged to a large, dark skinned boy with tightly curled hair. Sōma's mouth open, unbidden.

"To even suggest that I would do such a thing…you overstep. Mind yourself, _dog_."

Sōma wasn't sure where the insult had come from but it felt appropriate. Sōma saw him struggling against the grip the dark skinned teen had on his shoulder and Sōma wondered if it would be worth the trouble to navigate past the two…brothers (yes, they were brothers, for all their lack of resemblance) to deal with this slanderer.

With a start, Sōma stepped back. No. He refused to be taken in by simple words and insinuations. They were not worth his time or attention. He turned to walk into the kitchen, Alice trailing behind him as they took their places at adjoining stations. Sōma began opening the drawers, noting where exactly each tool was and mentally marking off materials that he knew were Hazardous.

He heard more than saw the rest of the group come in from the back, taking stations around them. He could feel the red eyed boy's gaze on him but he could also feel someone else's.

Sōma turned to where the stare was coming from and he met dark, black orbs in the crowd of spectators on the sidelines. Attached to a pale face crowned with black hair but for the single white streak running through it.

The spoon in Sōma's hand bent sharply. Sōma looked down at his hand curiously, wondering why he'd reacted like that. There wasn't anything overtly threatening about the man. But of course, that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't dangerous.

Before Sōma could ponder further, a bell rang out.

"Begin!"

And Sōma did, all other thoughts leaving his mind as he began cooking.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, this was an interesting one. Couple of things happened; some were probably kind of surprising while others were probably expected. I know this is super late, and I'm sorry to really pile it on but I have more bad news:**

 **I shall be taking another break. There will be no Nisegami chapter coming out in the upcoming week. Writing this chapter really took a lot out of me and I realized it's because I've been rushing a bit more than I should and trying to really get these out for you guys and, as I've said before, I don't want to exchange quality for updating speed. We'll get there eventually, slow and steady wins the race!**

 **Also I realized I never lived up to my promise to gush about having the most reviewed Shokugeki no Sōma fanfiction on the website so here it is:**

 **Nisegami started as a brief, one off idea. The initial idea was literally "Man, Azami's such an asshole. Wouldn't it be awesome if Sōma just clocks him instead of letting him into the dorm in Chapter 150?" So, inspired, I started writing. I started thinking more about the logistics; what caused Sōma to punch Azami, how would Azami realistically react to it? How could Sōma possibly get out of it? And so on, and so on. Until I had a neat little one shot with oodles of continuation potential that I planned to never utilize.**

 **And that, combined with the great feedback from the first chapter made me continue writing. And writing. And writing. I decided I needed a goal beyond simply finishing the story and that's when I decided to shoot for the "First Seat" of the SnS fandom. At least by reviews. And, lo and behold, that's where I'm at now. I never thought I could get here and I have each and every one of you to thank for it.**

 **Even if another fic comes along later and dethrones me, I can say I'm happy I made it here at all and I'm so thankful to everyone that read my work, even those who hated it or grew to dislike it because they didn't enjoy where certain things headed (I'm looking at you Sorina shippers!)**

 **You guys and girls are the best. I'm First Seat for reviews on a fandom that I love and that's freaking awesome.**

 **Appreciate each and every one of you and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. See you all in two weeks!**


	23. Chapter 22

Hisako checked her phone, noting the time in frustration. She should've been there by now, if not for her driver's car catching a flat on the road. By this point, Erina and the others should be starting their first trial for the Elite Ten Selection. She'd planned to enter herself as well, at least initially, but had reconsidered her decision after some thought and a discussion with Erina. They still couldn't be absolutely sure that her father wasn't going to use this as another opportunity to try and expel those that stood in the way of Central and its regime.

They'd decided it was prudent to have at least a few of them abstain from participating and Hisako had volunteered to be among that number. She knew she had talents that could be useful on the outside, should things go south, and she wasn't as blindly ambitious as the other members of her generation. She could set aside her own goals for the sake of the greater good.

"It's fine, Lee-san. We're only a few minutes away; I'll just walk the rest of the distance." said Hisako, stepping out of the car.

"Are you sure, Hisako-sama?" he asked curiously, wiping his forehead with his wrist. His sleeves were rolled up and he was crouched at the car's front, right tire with a socket wrench in one hand. Hisako nodded, pointing to the forest alongside the road.

"By car, it would've taken a little longer, actually. That footpath will have me at West Hall in a few minutes. I would stay and help you but…"

"No, Hisako-sama! That's more than alright." he said, standing to his feet and bowing. "I apologize for not doing a more thorough inspection of the car before leaving the mansion."

Hisako smiled and waved off his apology.

"No need, accidents happen. Do you think you'll have it fixed by the time I'm ready to leave? It shouldn't take much longer than two hours."

"Hisako-sama, you insult me!" he gasped, crouching down to inspect the tire once again. "I'll have this patched and repaired in no less than ten minutes or I will personally scrub this car until it is spotless or the sun has risen on a new day! You have my word!"

"Ah…alright then." said Hisako, blinking at both the man's exuberance and odd manner of speaking before waving goodbye and hurrying off down the footpath and into the trees. Despite the rush she was in, she couldn't help but take note of the beauty of some of the plants surrounding her; Tōtsuki's campus was really like no other. The tsubaki flowers were especially beautiful, this time of year.

Hisako paused, slowing as she noticed something odd. She stepped closer and leaned forward, eyeing a specific blossom curiously. She'd never seen a tsubaki flower like this one. Tsubaki flowers could come in red, pink and, more rarely, white. But she'd never seen a white tsubaki flower with red streaks running through the petals.

She reached her hand out to run her finger across the petal, noting how the red seemed to shift as she touched it. It also felt moist, as if it had just rained. It was really a beautiful flower. She leaned forward further, sniffing at the flower. Her nose crinkled and she leaned away; the acrid scent completely unlike any flower she'd ever smelt. Maybe it was a sick plant; perhaps that's why the petals were streaked with red?

It was only after she'd stepped away and began walking again that Hisako remembered it hadn't rained in days. She looked down at her finger. At the red streak now marring it. And realized what the bitter, sharp smell reminded her of.

She looked back at the tsubaki bush, noting the red streaks marring several of the white flowers. And also the pair of designer shoes protruding from the base of the bush. She felt herself freeze up as her mind connected the dots and she glanced around, suddenly finding the dusky forest surroundings much more sinister.

A groan from the bush prompted her to move forward, almost unconsciously, and she found herself leaning into the bush, parting the leaves to look down at the person held within. She recognized them.

"Eizan-senpai!"

He groaned again, blinking blearily up at Hisako through a single eye. His other eye was swollen shut and his face was more red than white, with the amount of blood smeared across it. Hisako gasped, leaning down and hooking her arms under his.

"ARGH!"

The sharp cry of pain startled her and she almost hopped back, shrieking.

"A-A-Arm…hurts…"

Eizan's words were slurred and Hisako could almost hear the pain in his voice. She tried to peer at his arms through the branches but the leaves obscured her vision too much. She looked around, wondering if anyone else was nearby to help. Instead, all she spotted was another person lying in the brush of the side of the road.

What had she stumbled into?

Hisako pulled out her phone, dialling a number.

"Hisako-sama, hello! Have you left something?" asked Lee curiously.

"No, Lee-san, that isn't it. I need you to come down that path I left on right now. As soon as you can. People are hurt!"

Hisako didn't hear a response other than the phone disconnecting. She didn't need one.

"Hai, Hisako-sama!"

She turned to face Lee, who stood at attention behind her. She looked at him, stunned, before looking down the path, where leaves were still falling in his wake.

"How did you…"

Another groan from the bush distracted her and Hisako turned back to Eizan, leaning down to grip his ankles. She took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders.

"Lee-san, please look around and help anyone you can find! I have no idea what happened here but these guys are hurt. I can't tell how badly." she said, bracing herself and pulling. She grunted, pulling again and ignoring the cry of pain she elicited from Eizan as she freed him from the tangle of the bush, pulling him onto the main path.

He looked even worse in the light. His nose was clearly broken, his eye was rapidly darkening and Hisako was almost sure his lip wasn't supposed to be bleeding that much. His working eye was barely capable of focusing on her face. He opened his mouth, gasping as he tried to speak.

"My…a-arm…"

She looked at his arms, finding the left one to be relatively intact but the right one…

"Oh my god." said Hisako, sweat beading on her forehead as she resisted the urge to turn away. Eizan's shoulder was grotesquely bulging through the fabric of his chef's uniform, clearly out of place. She couldn't see much past the sleeve but it seemed like a clean dislocation; his shoulder joint looked whole beyond that.

"Hisako-sama."

She turned to face Lee, who was laying down a fourth person next to the three he'd already retrieved. She stepped over and looked them over, prodding each of them in turn and eliciting groans of pain. They didn't seem nearly as damaged as Eizan, but they each had their fair share of injuries.

"What happened here?" asked Hisako, her concern starting to be beat back by fear.

"Please send an ambulance right away, we're in the forest, on the footpath almost directly adjacent to West Hall, right off of the main road…you're already on the way? Oh, well, that's great, thank you." said Lee, speaking into a handset, his usual cheer dropped in exchange for seriousness, with a touch of confusion. Who would've called the ambulance? One of the victims perhaps? Lee shook his head, deciding that it didn't matter. He put his phone away, looking around cautiously at the darkened trees for any other signs of activity. "Hisako-sama, I'm not exactly versed on Tōtsuki's inner school dynamics but I'm sure that gang fights aren't a part of them. Do you have any idea what could've caused this?"

Hisako looked around at the scene, wondering that for herself. She knew that Eizan had less than respectable contacts in some of the surrounding schools and so she assumed it had to be one of them. She couldn't think of anyone in Tōtsuki that could've done this. Or that would've done this, even. She stepped over to Eizan, crouching down and noting that his eye was still tracking her. A good sign.

"Eizan-senpai, who did this to you?" she asked.

Eizan didn't respond immediately. And when he did, his words confused Hisako more than anything else.

"Yukihira...he did this…"

"Eizan-senpai, what do you mean?"

Eizan just continued looking at Hisako, his eye growing even glassier as he blinked.

"He…did this…"

Eizan's eye closed and Hisako panicked briefly before realizing he'd simply passed out.

"Hisako-sama, the EMT's are on their way. I will go meet them at the road and be back shortly."

"Thank you, Lee-san, that would be-"

Hisako looked up, only to find that she was the only conscious person in the clearing, the only other signs of movement being a cascade of falling leaves.

* * *

"Alright, it's been fifteen minutes. You should be well into the preparatory stages of your dish; however, you find yourself beset by a sudden bout of weakness."

Saito gestured and staff members wheeled in carts filled with odd, grey bands.

"A chef must be able to work through any opposition, even one of his or her body's own making. I would've preferred you all attend my challenge after having missed a night of sleep to better emulate the exhaustion of being truly ill but I am aware that such a request would be easily ignored by the less scrupulous among you." said Saito, stepping forward while holding up two of the grey objects in a single hand.

"These are weighted bands; the staff members will place two pairs at each of your stations. You must pause anytime in the next five minutes and place the bands around your wrists and ankles. You are not allowed to remove them until the challenge is complete."

Alice barely heard Saito's proclamation; she was caught between ensuring her soup stock was properly done and sneaking glances at Sōma. The red head didn't seem perturbed at all; his hands moved with a lively efficiency that would've had Alice jumping for joy in most circumstances but which only served as an unpleasant reminder.

A tinkling noise broke Alice from her thoughts and she removed the spoon from the pot, clenching her fists as they continued to tremble. She took a deep breath in and then out, clasping her hands together as she tried to calm down. After a few seconds, she released her hands, turning them over to inspect them. They stood still and calm, the way they always did.

"Here you go, Nakiri-san."

Alice looked up to find a Tōtsuki staff member placing something grey and heavy on her station. She looked at it curiously before looking around to see people pausing their cooking to slip them onto their wrists. A deep voice spoke up from behind Alice.

"Hey, you deaf or something? Five minutes is almost up, you better hurry."

Alice looked backwards at the person who'd spoken. It was a boy in dark sunglasses and a grey baseball cap. His Tōtsuki uniform was covered by the large trench coat he wore and he was in the process of slipping the bands onto his wrist. Alice didn't deign to respond, instead turning back to place her own weighted bands on.

Cinching each of them tightly, she waved her arms experimentally, noting how she could barely even tell they were there. She wondered what the point was if the weight was going to be so minute but a quick glance around told her that there were several struggling with the weight. It wasn't overt but she could see it in the way people's arms rested on their stations and the way their stirring was awkward and stilted.

"Well, Ryo always did tell me I was freakishly strong." she said to herself, smiling. The thought of the dark haired boy quickly made her smile disappear though and she glanced back at his station. His weights were already strapped on and his cooking was uninhibited but she saw that his eyes were locked firmly onto Sōma's back. Alice could now say she fully understood the term 'if looks could kill'.

"Your ankles too."

Alice's eyes shifted to the boy, who was out of sight. She quickly saw the reason why as he stood back up, dusting off his hands. Alice crouched down, strapping the ankle bands on and finding it just as easy to move as before. She went back to her simmering pot, placing in the spring onions and cabbage.

"Hey there, Nakiri-san."

Alice didn't turn to face the chatty boy behind her, she merely waved a hand to indicate she was listening.

"So…I couldn't help but notice that little dust up between your boyfriend and the transfer student. What's the story there?" he asked, carefully noting the amount of steam coming from his pot.

It took Alice a few seconds of confusion to realize that the boy wasn't talking about Sōma when she said boyfriend.

"Firstly, Ryo-kun is many things but he is most certainly **not** my boyfriend." said Alice, hoping the rebuke in her tone was enough, considering she couldn't turn to glare at him and watch her pot at the same time. "Secondly, that is none of your business, and I would appreciate it if you stayed out of mine."

"Woah, woah, easy there. Just asking, sheesh." said the boy, frowning at her. "Not every day you see something like that. No need to bite my head off."

Alice would've normally taken note and apologized but she couldn't muster up the energy to and so she simply continued stirring in irritated silence.

"You just gotta wonder, ya know. What could have two Autumn Election finalists going at it like that on today of all days? You'd think they'd be better at keeping it together."

"You certainly have a lot to say for someone who doesn't know anything about the situation." commented Alice acidly, dropping a single clove of garlic into her pot.

"I wouldn't say that exactly. I've heard of you guys. I mean, who hasn't? I watched the elections, same as anyone else. And I saw the red head's transfer speech. Didn't take him for such a hothead lately though, with the whole goody-two-shoes, Central thing." said the shades wearing teen as he tapped a dash of salt into his pot, sniffing at it delicately.

"Goody two shoes?" asked Alice, despite herself. She could think of many adjectives to describe Sōma but goody two shoes would not have been anywhere on the list.

"Well, yea." said the boy, looking at her. "Why do you think one of his nicknames is Azami's Dog? He hasn't stepped a toe out of line in weeks. Even when he forfeited to you, we all kinda assumed it was on the director's orders out of some good old family favouritism."

"I can assure you, it was anything but." said Alice. "Azami and I are not what you would call close."

"Is that right? News to me, I guess." he said, shrugging. "Not that I knew that much anyway."

Alice narrowed her eyes, turning her head to face the boy.

"Tell me your name." she said pointedly. He looked up at her, frowning.

"It wouldn't kill you to be a bit more polite. The name's Gentian, although everyone calls me Genti."

"Genti-san." Alice said, as if testing how the name sounded on her tongue. "I can't say that I've ever heard of you. I don't think I've ever even seen you, actually. Which is odd, considering someone good enough to be here should've showed up on my radar."

Genti shrugged as he cut a slab of beef into chunks.

"Not surprising, really, considering our class is still well in the hundreds. I'm about as nobody as you can get. Not much of a social guy."

"But I would have assumed I would've at least seen you at the Autumn Election preliminaries." said Alice, turning back to her pot. "I mean, if you're confident enough to try out for the Elite Ten, I would assume you skilled enough to at least make it to the preliminaries."

"Ah, well…" the shaded boy's voice was embarrassed. "I…overslept."

Alice twitched, only barely avoiding adding in an extra tablespoon of seasoning to her pot. Did he just say what she thought he said?

"I don't know what happened. I think I spent too much time worrying about my dish the night before, I closed my eyes for like a second and by the time I woke up, it was too late. I was disqualified."

Alice was going to comment further but she then noticed a commotion in the crowd of spectators out of the corner of her eye. She glanced over and saw Azami stepping through the crowd, a cell phone held to his ear. She couldn't hear him from where she was but she could tell he was agitated. She watched him walk to the front of the room, catching Saito's attention with a short wave.

She watched them converse briefly, before Azami pointed. At Sōma. And then at her. The grip Alice had on her spoon tightened but her expression didn't move; at least she didn't think it did.

Saito looked over at them. His eyes rested on Sōma, in particular, before he shook his head and spoke a few words to Azami, who's only response was a raised black eyebrow and a small frown. Saito spoke again, gesturing and Alice saw Azami's frown deepen in response but he didn't speak further. He simply walked back to his place at the front of the spectator's crowd and, by the time he was facing Alice's direction, his face was as blank and pleasant as ever.

Alice continued cooking, the soup taking form below her, even as her mind kept straying back to what had happened in the forest now that she didn't have a distraction in the form of conversation with the odd, shady boy behind her. It seemed no matter how she tried; she couldn't ignore what happened and give the dish below her complete focus. The events just seemed to stick out more and more in her mind and she could feel it affecting her cooking. Nothing overt but she could feel that she was, ever so slightly, off her game. And that would be all she needed to lose against the best of the best.

Alice paused, mid stir, and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tried to settle herself into the focused calm that she preferred to utilize when cooking. She gave up on putting the day out of her mind and simply accepted its weight, enough to get her through the rest of the challenge at the very least. She forced all distractions to the back of her mind, making them less prominent, less important right then and there, so that she could clearly look forward. A sense of peace washed over her and she exhaled, her eyes opening with sharpened focus.

She continued stirring with renewed vigour, adding in ingredients at a calm, measured pace. She felt the dish coming together beneath her, as her talent spoke for itself. Even with the meagre selection offered, the Heaven Sent Child of Molecular Gastronomy worked her magic. She hummed lightly as she placed several ingredients to the side, identifying the Hazardous materials with an almost trivial ease even as, around her, she heard the voices of the examiners call out one student after the other.

"You! Do you see the colour of that beef! Expelled!"

"Young man, I don't know what restaurants you've eaten at in your lifetime but I assure you, none of them used rotten celery! Expelled!"

"Do you think I wouldn't notice that you now have four bundles of spring onions where we only provided each station with two? Expelled!"

Over an hour passed in this manner, the cries of "Expelled" lessening as time went on, even as fatigue grew. The weighted bands were doing their job of making the assembled students weary and exhausted. The sounds of dropped utensils and clashing pots became more and more frequent, even as the challenge began to near its conclusion.

It was with varying sighs of relief that, one by one, students began to finish and gesture for Saito to come and taste their dish. The stoic senior walked between stations, accepting the small serving dish proffered at each one. With a single sip and a brief hum, he wrote something down on the clipboard he carried before moving on to the next raised hand.

At Genti's station, Saito paused after taking a sip of the soup. His eyes opened, just barely, and he looked down at the coat wearing teen.

"What is your name?" Saito asked.

"Mori Gentian." he replied. "Something wrong, Saito-senpai?"

Saito shook his head slightly, placing the serving dish on the counter.

"No. Good work."

Saito moved on, continuing his usual grading pattern. He didn't stop to speak to any of the other chefs, with one noted exception where he expelled the girl and fired the examiner assigned to monitor her cooking process. She'd somehow managed to sneak contraband into her dish but the examiner hadn't caught it, but Saito could taste a complex blend of cumin in her dish that would've been impossible to replicate with the ingredients on hand.

After that particular incident, the remainder of the judging passed without a hitch and Saito soon stood in front of the room once again.

"Those of you in this room have all passed the first phase of the Elite Ten Selection. Bear in mind that, though it is an admirable achievement, all passing means is that you weren't disqualified or expelled. You have no idea what grades I've assigned you. It could be a one or it could be a twenty and, as Azami-sama has made clear, scores below a certain, cumulative threshold will result in immediate expulsion. So do not allow your success here to make you complacent. You are dismissed. Please return your bands to the carts near the door."

The students began to stream towards the cart, conversation starting as they began to divest themselves of the weight. Groans of relief echoed throughout the hall as the students freed themselves.

"Man, that was rough." complained Takumi, holding his wrist tenderly. "I thought my arm was going to fall off."

"I always told you that you should work out more, nii-chan." said Isami teasingly, looking none the worse for wear.

"Pardon me for not having the bulk you do, Isami." said Takumi grumpily, elbowing his brother as they walked towards the exit of the room.

"That wasn't so bad." commented Megumi cheerfully, looking down at her hands. "What did you think, Erina-chan?"

Erina didn't respond and when Megumi turned, she noticed the blonde was staring off to the side, at where Alice and Sōma stood, conversing. The sight made Megumi remember just what had happened before the Selection and she lost her smile.

"What do you think happened, Erina-chan?" she asked, tapping her on the shoulder lightly. Erina shook her head, eyes firmly locked on her cousin.

"I don't know but I intend to find out." she said, stepping forward, only to find herself cut off by a figure in a dark suit crossing paths with her. A figure she recognized. Erina's advance halted mid step and her breath hitched as she locked eyes with her father.

Azami looked down at Erina, as if he'd only just noticed her. He went to speak but then stopped, as if he'd thought better of it before continuing onwards towards where Alice and Sōma stood. His approach did not go unnoticed and Sōma pivoted, stepping in front of Alice and ignoring the glare she sent his way.

"Good evening, Sōma-kun." said Azami. Sōma didn't respond verbally; he simply crossed his arms and looked up at Azami. Azami's eyebrows rose as his smile dropped as he noticed the blank, glassy sheen of Sōma's eyes.

"It seems someone's been toying with things they shouldn't inside your head, Sōma-kun. Was that you? Or the lovely Kobayashi-kun?" he asked.

"What do you mean by that, Azami-san?" asked Alice, stepping past Sōma's raised arm and ignoring the annoyed look he sent her. Azami looked down at her with some interest.

"Dearest niece, how are you?"

"I'm quite fine, no thanks to you and your goons, Azami- _san_." Alice said, placing emphasis on the honorific. Azami's smile didn't waver.

"Ah yes, I heard about what happened in the forest between Etsuya-kun and you two. I'm very displeased, to say the least."

"With us or him?" she asked flatly.

"Both of you, quite frankly." said Azami, his smile dropping. "Etsuya-kun had no right to attempt to detain you as well. But that's no excuse for the overly aggressive response visited upon him by you and Sōma-kun. Etsuya-kun is being rushed to the hospital, as we speak."

"The hospital?!" exclaimed Ikumi in surprise.

"Eizan-senpai is injured?" asked Shun quietly. "What happened?"

"What happened is Etsuya-kun, along with four of his friends, were injured for simply following orders." commented Azami.

"Your orders." interjected Alice harshly.

"My orders." admitted Azami smoothly. "The fact that they were mine doesn't change the fact that he is now sitting in a hospital bed with a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs and a concussion."

Erina's eyes widened and she looked at Alice but her cousin wouldn't meet her eyes, looking away guiltily.

"Alice, what did you do?" asked Erina desperately.

"Nothing wrong."

Sōma spoke for the first time since the challenge had ended. He looked at Erina, his flat, golden eyes meeting hers. He paused, staring at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. He blinked twice before shaking his head and looking back towards Azami.

"Alice hasn't done anything wrong and neither have I; your men attacked us and we defended ourselves, it was as simple as that."

"I believe I can argue that your retaliation was more than a little excessive." said Azami, shaking his head. "After all, your injuries seem mild to non-existent, Sōma-kun."

"That is simply because I have training and they do not. They came with intent to harm and debilitate and I responded in kind." said Sōma. "They came armed with weapons and ropes. Weapons I would be more than happy to direct the authorities to, assuming they weren't retrieved when your men were."

Azami didn't so much as blink in response to Sōma's claim but internally, he mentally crossed Eizan off of a list of potential assets. Did he really bring weapons to detain a single person? Things would've been tough enough to justify considering the numbers but to have weapons as well? No. Azami knew a lost cause when he saw one.

"Regardless. Etsuya-kun is gravely injured and that is something I will not stand for. I'm afraid I will have to expel you, here and now." said Azami. The crowd of onlookers froze at Azami's words. Erina's mouth dropped open and Ikumi's face paled as she looked at Sōma, who didn't seem to have even noticed what Azami said. He simply continued staring up at him.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible, Azami-san."

Azami looked down at Alice, who was smiling up at him calmly.

"And just why would that be, Alice?" he asked, almost curiously.

"Simply put, you don't have the authority. Sōma-kun's only been the tenth seat for a little over two months. You can't dismiss him, from the school or the Council, until three months have passed." said Alice, smirking.

"Is that true?" asked Megumi in surprise.

"It is." confirmed Erina shakily, even as Alice's words filled her with an almost crippling sense of relief. "Newly placed Council members are unable to be dismissed by any acting members of the Totsuki Administration, of which the Director is one, for varying lengths of time. They'd have to lose their seats themselves. It was a provision put into place by ojii-sama years ago to prevent abuses of power and favoritism."

Left unsaid was how that provision had been of little help. Azami shrugged, tapping his cane on the floor as he stroked his chin, considering. The look he gave Alice was akin to the look of an elder lion realizing that the younger lion wasn't quite so small and weak as he once thought.

"You are correct, Alice. I suppose that little detail had slipped my mind."

"Or you'd hoped we wouldn't notice." cut in Alice, her tone still as calm and pleasant as ever.

"My, my. Do you have such little faith in me?" he asked.

"Yes."

The simple, immediate response caused Azami to chuckle lowly.

"Be that as it may, I'm still more than capable of calling Sōma-kun on his actions before the administrative board. I have a feeling that they would see fit to do what I can't."

"We both know you won't do that." said Alice, resisting the urge to smirk up at him. "That would result in an investigation of the incident; one that I can assure you would end in our favour, considering they dared to lay a hand on the Demon King of Food's own granddaughter."

She gestured to the light red bruise on the side of her face.

"Besides. I'm sure the board hasn't forgotten who Tōtsuki's true ruler is."

The only visible reaction to Alice's gibe was the slight tightening of Azami's grip on his cane and the frosty look he leveled upon her.

"I believe we've gotten all we can out of this conversation."

"Yes. I believe we have." responded Alice.

Azami turned, his coat billowing behind him as he faced the small crowd of students that had been watching their verbal exchange. His glanced over at Sōma before looking away and settling his eyes onto his daughter. He smiled conciliatorily, stepping towards her.

"Erina, it's-"

Sōma lunged, placing himself in between the director and his daughter, his hands held out threateningly. The movement took everyone by surprise, although Azami seemed to take it in stride. He looked down at Sōma, his head slightly tilted.

"Is there a problem, Sōma-kun?" he asked genially.

"We have a deal." said Sōma, his voice flat. Azami continued looking down at Sōma, his eyes cold. After a few tense seconds, he spoke, his tone ever cordial.

"You're right. My apologies. It seems I'm rather forgetful today."

Without another word, Azami turned and strode towards the exit of the room, his abrupt departure only further confusing the onlookers. Alice turned to Sōma, her cheeks puffing angrily as she glared at him.

"Sōma-kun, you can't just up and attack anyone you please! Especially not the director of our school!" she admonished.

"I didn't attack him, I simply made it clear that I would. A threat of force can be just as effective as force itself."

Sōma's clinical response did nothing to assuage Alice's anger. Or the fear that lay at its root.

"Alice."

She turned to face Ryo, who had his arms folded and was standing across from her, though he was still glaring at Sōma, who was looking back at him idly, though he didn't make a move to step in front of Alice this time.

"What happened?" asked Ryo. "What happened to you before the challenge?"

"Ryo-kun…we can discuss this later." said Alice hesitantly, Ryo's reminder bringing it back to the forefront of her mind. Ryo stepped forward, his eyes moving from Sōma to her.

"Alice, I've never seen you this scared. Ever. And I know it has something to do with him. I'm not letting you go anywhere with him until you tell me what happened."

"I will tell you, but like I said, we can discuss this later." she insisted.

"No. I think we need to discuss it now, Alice." interjected Erina, her voice filled with concern. "You and Yukihira-kun have had enough time playing house and keeping secrets. We have a right to know what's going on."

"Especially after something like that." said Ikumi. "Sōma-kun almost put Kurokiba in the hospital and, if Azami's telling the truth, he actually DID put Eizan-senpai in the hospital!"

The meat chef looked over at Sōma but he simply looked back at her without saying anything.

"What happened Alice?" asked Ryo, glaring at her. Alice wasn't the least bit affected by his ire but she was affected by what lay behind it: genuine concern. She knew how things must have looked from his perspective, especially after what had happened right before the challenge.

Alice sighed, looking over at Sōma who simply contained to look at his friends, silent. She looked out at the Polar Star residents who were all looking at them with varying levels of concern and confusion. She sighed again, touching the bruise on her cheek as she opened her mouth.

"We were on our way to the hall but Eizan-senpai and a few of his goons intercepted us in the forest…"

* * *

 _Alice swung, her fist lashing out and catching the boy with the rope across the jaw. His head snapped back and Alice followed up, landing a solid punch to his chest that left him gasping and kneeling on the floor, even as she followed that punch up with a knee that sent him slumping to the floor, dazed._

 _Alice turned, smiling sweetly at the dumbfounded expression on the rest of the thugs' faces. Eizan's was no better; he was gaping at the petite girl in abject shock. He recovered quickly, however and turned to face his men._

" _What are you standing around for? Go!"_

 _The stern command seemed to remind them that, though one of theirs was down, it was still three on two. Two of them ran at Alice, yelling battle cries as they neared her. Alice stepped back warily, looking back and forth between them. As the left one neared, Alice turned and punched at him, only barely grazing his face but causing him to stumble. The other teen got near Alice and, in lieu of anything fancy, simply tackled her around the middle._

 _All of the air in Alice's chest left her in a gasp as she slammed into the forest floor. She wedged her hands against the boy's chest and started pushing. Despite the size disparity and the lack of leverage, he felt his grip start to loosen from around her torso. Her arms were like steel._

" _What the fuck? Boss, she's strong!"_

 _Eizan rolled his eyes, glancing over at Sōma who was eyeing the single, bat wielding thug across from him warily._

" _How strong can she be? Look at her!"_

 _Alice pushed harder, the arms around her waist slowly but surely being pried off of her frame. Once she got enough room, she brought her knees up and pushed them into his chest. The extra bit of power did the rest of the work, forcing the boy's large frame off of her. She maintained her grip on his shirt as she got to her feet, hefting him in the air with almost contemptuous ease. Alice got to her feet, dusting herself off with one hand as the other held the much larger boy straight up, above her head. He looked down at her with a mix of wonder and fear._

" _What the hell are you?" he asked, looking at her arm for any sign of strain or trembling. There was none._

 _Alice shrugged, smiling lazily._

" _I'm Nakiri Alice."_

 _She flicked her wrist, dropping the boy to the ground with a thump and a cry. She laughed down at him, leaning over his fallen form._

" _Oh, I'm sorry. I'm such a klutz sometimes, are you alright?"_

 _Alice didn't see the thug she'd dropped earlier in the fight rise up behind her. She also didn't see him reach into his waistband and pull out a piece of pipe. And she definitely didn't see him start running towards her. But Sōma did._

" _Al-!"_

 _Sōma's opponent took his chance and tackled Sōma before he could get the word out, slamming the red headed boy into the floor. He held an arm over Sōma's throat, pushing down. Not enough to fully cut off his air way but definitely enough to silence him. Sōma squirmed and thrashed, trying in vain to get the bulky teenager off of him._

 _He looked to the side, watching the pipe wielding thug run at Alice from behind. She had turned to face the second boy, the one she'd almost hit in the face, and had no idea what was coming behind her._

' _Alice. Behind you! ALICE!'_

 _Try as he might, Sōma simply couldn't get the words out past the meaty arm of Eizan's henchman. He watched as the distance between Alice and the boy closed. Twenty feet. Ten feet. Five feet._

 _He wasn't sure what caused it; maybe Alice had heard the shuffling behind her or seen something in the smirk of the unarmed boy she was facing but she spun to face the boy just as the pipe swung out. It connected with the side of her jaw, her head flinging back as she stumbled backwards, falling to the floor._

 _Sōma felt like his heart had stopped as he looked at Alice's downed frame; the fear, pain and rage coalesced inside of him without end and he felt his other side respond. Felt him fully become aware and take notice._

 _Alice. Alice. Alice._

 _With a surge, Sōma was displaced, as if he weighed nothing and his other half settled into control. Golden eyes closed before opening back up, warm bronze replaced with cold, flinty gold. Sōma looked up at the boy who was holding him down, who was distracted by Eizan yelling at the thug holding the pipe. Sōma moved his arms, finding the right one had more freedom, based on the way he was lying. Sōma opened his mouth to speak._

" _Hey."_

 _The boy turned back to face Sōma questioningly, only for Sōma to rear up and slam his forehead into his nose. The blow was weak but quick and unexpected and it did its job. The boys grip on Sōma relaxed as he reeled back and Sōma's right arm lanced upwards and outwards, swinging into his throat, his fingers flared out._

 _The blow struck true and the thug gasped as he felt his ability to breathe fail him. He stumbled off of Sōma, hacking and coughing as he held his throat. Sōma sprung to his feet, cat like before turning and grabbing the back of the boy's shirt. He yanked him backwards and threaded his arm around his throat, pressuring the blood vessels there with the crook of his elbow and pulling._

 _In seconds, the hulking thug was out. Sōma released him, uncaring of how his body fell to the floor. He moved forwards towards where Eizan and his two remaining men were standing over Alice. Eizan was still yelling at the one holding the pipe, who looked both sheepish and terrified._

" _-a Nakiri! You attacked a Nakiri woman with a pipe! Are you that much of an idiot?"_

" _B-b-but boss, you said to detain them and she was really strong, I don't see how…"_

" _You're right, you don't see. You don't see anything that isn't shoved in front of your nose, you imbecile. You better pray to the gods that…"_

 _Eizan paused as Sōma walked past them as if they weren't even there. The older student blinked in surprise before looking back at the subordinate that should've been restraining Sōma and saw his collapsed frame. He looked back at Sōma, who was ignoring all of them in favour of crouching over Alice._

 _He turned her over, inspecting her face. He touched her jaw lightly, tracing the red mark there. He gently thumbed over her lip, which was cut at the corner, humming as he examined the small wound. He poked the bruise, earning a groan from the girl but nothing else. He nodded and stood to his feet, turning to face the teen holding the pipe._

" _Nothing's broken or fractured. I believe she was able to turn with your blow at the last second, mitigating the force of it. She's not even unconscious, simply dazed. "_

 _Sōma's assessment was detached and clinical. The pipe wielder sighed in relief, scratching the back of his head._

" _That's goo-"_

 _The rest of his statement was lost as Sōma stepped forward, his arm striking out and catching the boy straight in the stomach. He gasped as he bent over Sōma's fist, hacking. Sōma's fist left his gut, only to grab either side of his head and yank, his nose meeting Sōma's knee with a devastating crack. He fell to his knees, eyes blinded with tears as he held his nose with his free hand._

 _Sōma leaned down and took the pipe from his unresisting grip. He stepped back, swinging the pipe once or twice through the air before nodding to himself. He stepped forward once again, swinging up and striking the boy solidly in the jaw with a much stronger and more direct blow than the one he'd landed on Alice. Blood and spittle flew from his mouth as a sharp cracking noise filled the air. He fell to the floor bonelessly._

" _That's how you deliver a jaw strike meant to knock someone unconscious."_

 _Sōma looked at the pipe, which had dented at the point of contact. He shook his head, tossing it to the side as he turned to face Eizan and the single thug, who'd picked up the bat and stood in front of the second year protectively._

" _Don't worry boss, he's not getting through me." he said, although the way his knees shock and his eyes darted around made his statement much less convincing than it would be. Sōma began walking forward, unhurried. He was almost halfway to them when he paused, mid stride. He turned to face Alice, who was beginning to sit up, groaning._

" _Alice, are you alright?"_

 _Alice moaned again, rubbing at her jaw tenderly._

" _Yea…I'll be fine. Although I'm going to destroy that brute for daring to lay a hand on my face." she muttered angrily, while getting to her feet. She began to walk forward but Sōma stopped her with a hand to her shoulder. Alice blinked dazedly. When did he end up so close?_

" _Just relax Alice. I've already dealt with two of the four remaining threats. This shouldn't take much longer."_

 _Sōma turned and began walking towards Eizan and his guard with a purposeful stride. Alice watched him walk away in confusion before noticing the slumped form nearby. She didn't immediately recognize him as the thug that had attacked her with the pipe but that was probably because she couldn't get past the blood covering his face._

 _Alice knew how to fight; between Ryo and her strength, she'd practically been forced to learn, lest she injure someone. She'd learnt alongside Ryo for years, although she wouldn't exactly call herself a martial artist the way he would. She simply knew enough of the basics to put her strength to good use. That being said, she still wasn't prepared for the scene before her._

 _A cry made her look up and she saw Sōma standing close to the guard, with one of his hands held in both of his. The bat lay to the side, uselessly, and the way his pinkie finger bent out and to the side told Alice just what had made him scream out like that. Sōma gripped his ring finger, bending it backwards and snapping it with an ease that both surprised and revolted Alice._

" _Please, please! I give, I give!" shouted the young man, tears streaming down his face. Sōma released his hand but drew back and sent his foot forward, thumping it into the teen's chest and sending him flying backwards. He slammed into a tree, his body striking it with much more force than was healthy. He fell to the floor, his eyes vacant as he stared up at Sōma who stepped forward, his hand raised._

 _Alice saw Sōma glance to the side and he stepped back, the bat flying past his face. Eizan had a shaky grip on the wooden object and he looked at Sōma with an anger born of fear._

" _Listen here, Yukihira. Just calm down. You've beaten my men, there's no need to take this any further. Let's just all calm down and go to the Selection, ok?"_

 _Sōma looked at Eizan, as if he was considering what he was saying._

" _Alright then, Eizan-senpai. That's agreeable."_

 _Eizan's shoulders slumped as he sighed, shaking his head. He dropped the bat and laughed to himself, relieved more than anything else. He took his glasses off, eyeing the dirty lenses. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and began cleaning them._

" _I gotta say, that's good to hear, Yukihira. It seems you're smarter than I give you credit for. There's been enough violence today, don't you think?"_

 _Eizan didn't even see the fist coming. Sōma's fist landed solidly in the side of Eizan's face, sending him stumbling back as his glasses dropped to the floor. He cried out in surprise and pain as he held the side of his face in his hands._

" _Yukihira! What the fuck! I thought you agreed!"_

 _He blinked harshly, trying to clear his rapidly swelling eye. He heard more than saw Sōma's approach but that didn't mean he was ready to dodge the fist that planted itself in his chest, nor the knife strike to the side of his neck that erupted into a pain like none Eizan had ever felt before._

 _He screamed out, barely staying on his feet as he stumbled back further, holding his collarbone. Sōma didn't let up, instead reaching forward and grabbing Eizan's tie. He yanked the older boy forward, before using his other hand to strike out and land another salvo of blows into Eizan's ribs. At least seven or eight blows landed before Eizan's tie couldn't take the strain anymore and tore, allowing Eizan to fall back._

 _He held his chest with one hand, gasping. Each breath felt like it set a wave of fire skittering across his chest and his eye was now completely blind, between the swelling and the blood from his split forehead leaking into it._

" _Yukihira, please, we can talk about this!"_

 _Sōma's only response was to step forward and grab Eizan's arm, while placing his leg forward and pulling. Eizan fell forward, slamming into the floor with another cry of pain that Sōma ignored. Sōma grabbed his right arm, pulling it towards him as he kneeled onto Eizan's back._

 _Eizan felt his arm being stretched back further and further. He felt his shoulder start to whine in protest and he cried out again, gritting his teeth._

" _Yukihira, stop this. Stop! What are you doing?"_

 _Sōma paused in his efforts, looking down at the older student._

" _Removing a threat."_

" _Please, please let me go! I promise I'll do anything you want. Please!"_

 _Sōma looked down at Eizan, his eyes flat. He looked over at Alice, who was staring at him, stunned. His eyes narrowed as he eyed the small bead of red making its way down her lip. Sōma pulled backwards as he forced his knee into Eizan's shoulder simultaneously. With one final wrench, the shoulder popped out of the joint and Eizan screamed._

 _A long, loud scream that terrified Alice in a way that nothing ever had. She watched as Sōma dragged the other boy to his feet. He inspected the shoulder, shaking the arm and eliciting another scream from Eizan._

" _Good. A clean displacement. Easily fixable."_

 _Sōma tossed Eizan to the side as if he was so much garbage. His body landed in a shrub of tsubaki flowers, his blood painting the white blossoms with stripes of red. Eizan cried out as the landing jarred his shoulder again but Sōma gave his scream just as much attention as he gave the previous ones and turned to face Alice, who was staring at him in stunned silence._

" _Alice?"_

 _She blinked, stepping backwards in response to Sōma's step forward. He tilted his head at her._

" _Is something the matter? Are you more injured than I first thought?"_

 _The honest curiosity in Sōma's voice broke Alice from her reverie._

" _Is something wrong? Sōma-kun…you…you just…"_

 _She waved her arm around at the clearing. At the injured, unconscious bodies surrounding them. Sōma looked around._

" _There's no need to concern yourself with their health, Alice. I fought to disable, that's all. They will be fine, with proper medical attention."_

 _Sōma reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. He dialed Tōtsuki's emergency number, placing the device to his ear._

" _Good evening, there's been an altercation in the forest bordering West Hall, a few minutes down the footpath. Five injured, nothing life threatening."_

 _Sōma ignored the operator's following question, instead hanging up and putting his phone away as he began walking away. Alice watched him walk away in confusion before he turned back to her._

" _We're already late, Alice. Let's go."_

 _Alice went to protest but then realized that they probably were actually quite late. She looked around at the fallen people around her before looking at the time on her phone. Her eyes widened and she hurried to catch up to Sōma._

 _She briefly contemplated waiting with the downed young men but the light throbbing in her jaw convinced her to press onwards. She wasn't going to allow something like this to stop her. She pointedly ignored the way her hands shook and the way she kept glancing at Sōma as they continued towards West Hall._

* * *

As Alice's story came to an end, the room grew quiet. No one quite knew what to say. Hayama looked at Sōma, who didn't seem fazed at all by Alice's recounting or the glances he was receiving. He just continued looking at Alice.

"Are you satisfied now? May we leave?"

Sōma's sudden question took them by surprise, considering how silent he'd been up until that point. After the surprise wore off, Erina spoke up, stepping forward.

"Is that it? Is that all you have to say after that insane story, Yukihira-kun?"

Sōma nodded, either missing or ignoring the concern in Erina's tone. He stretched, yawning.

"Alice. I ask again, may we leave?"

Alice turned to her cousin hesitantly. Erina simply shook her head and waved them away.

"Go, Alice. Since he seems so insistent. We'll speak about this later when Yukihira-kun's more…approachable."

Alice nodded, turning to leave. Ryo stepped in line to follow her, practically bumping elbows with Sōma.

"Move it, Yukihira." growled Ryo.

Sōma stepped back obediently, taking up the rear as the three of them left the hall, leaving the rest of their friends behind.

"Sōma-kun!"

Sōma paused, turning to face Megumi. The look in his eyes worried her and she felt a question rise unbidden to her lips.

"What's my name?"

Once she spoke, Megumi realized. There was no recognition in Sōma's eyes. His eyes passed over each of them, equally, as if they were strangers. She didn't see even a hint of familiarity or closeness in his gaze, no matter who he looked at. With the noted exception of Alice.

Sōma didn't speak immediately but, when he did, the answer surprised Megumi.

"Tadokoro Megumi. Freshman. Resident of Polar Star Dormitory. A friend."

Sōma said the words as if he was reading a laundry list. Megumi faltered, unsure of how to proceed. Sōma took her hesitance as a conclusion and began walking again. Before the blue haired girl could protest, he was already through the doors and gone.

"Sōma-kun…" muttered Megumi, wondering why watching him walk away this time hurt more than all of the other times she'd been forced to. Erina reached out and took her girlfriend's hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. Megumi turned to Erina, burying her face in her shoulder.

"I thought we had him back." she whispered hollowly, feeling her chest thump achingly. She didn't feel any tears forming though. Perhaps she was simply done crying over Yukihira Sōma?

Erina wrapped her arms around Megumi, one hand around her back, the other stroking her head. Megumi returned the embrace, her arms going around Erina's waist in a grip that was probably too tight. The blonde placed a kiss on the top of Megumi's head.

"We got him back once, Megumi-chan. We'll get him back again." said Erina. She neglected to point out that he'd been "back" for barely three days.

"I don't know, Erina-chan. He seems so far this time. Not like before…even when he was cold and distant, there was still something there. Now…I just don't know. This is different." said Megumi.

"I don't know either," admitted Erina. "But that won't stop us. I promise."

"Question."

Megumi and Erina both froze. They turned to face Shun, who was looking back and forth between them. His eyes intensely peered out at them from behind his fringe as he looked between both girls. He was far from the only one.

The Aldini brothers were looking between the two in confusion, while Yuki seemed to be staring at them with hearts in her eyes.

Ikumi and Hayama were giving them similarly intense looks, although Hayama's was more appreciative than anything else.

Shun continued speaking.

"Are you two a thing?"

Erina and Megumi turned identical shades of red. Which became scarlet once Yuki couldn't contain herself anymore and squealed, hopping up and down.

"That's so cute!"

As the conversations began, Erina welcomed the distraction of answering her curious friends' questions. It helped keep her mind off of her feelings of guilt and concern over what seemed to be the never ending problem that was Yukihira Sōma.


	24. Chapter 23

**A/N: Guess who's back? Did ya miss me? Longer A/N at the bottom, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

" _You will serve me. In whatever capacity I desire, up to and including the duties I demanded of my daughter."_

Pain. Hot, blistering pain. It ran up and down his body in currents before suddenly abating.

" _You will serve me. You will exceed any and all of my expectations."_

Again, the pain came. He gasped, straining against the bonds that held him. The pain left a second time.

" _You will serve me. You will be obedient and loyal. You will follow my every command to the letter."_

He screamed, his throat raw. He strained, lunging towards the voice but unable to make headway against his manacles.

" _You will serve me. If I tell you to leave behind everyone you know, you will do it without a second thought. If I tell you to crush them like the insects they are, you will not hesitate."_

This burst of pain exceeded the others and he gasped, falling limp, unable to do anything as his mind began to grow dim, the pain leaving as suddenly as it had come. His consciousness started to fade.

" _You will serve me. You will serve me. You. Will. Serve._ _ **ME**_ _!"_

* * *

Sōma sprang awake with a gasp. He looked around frantically, hand held over his chest. He could feel his heart thumping loudly beneath his palm, even as his eyes scanned the darkness around him. He slowly began to calm down as he recognized the surroundings of his room in the Nakiri mansion only to start again as he remembered the events of the previous day. Or at least remembered not remembering them.

He got to his feet, stumbling towards the light switch. He turned it on, hissing at the harsh, white light hit his unprepared eyes but he gave himself no time to adjust; he dashed over to the mirror hanging on his wall. Dull, black eyes stared back at him. The monochrome version of Sōma appeared unchanged. He simply continued to stare flatly at Sōma.

"Why did you do it?" asked Sōma, trying and failing to completely recall exactly what had happened. His last clear memory was Alice being struck. After that, he could only recall bits and pieces, scattered out of order. Some parts were clear and long while others were painfully brief. He remembered fists flying. Bodies falling. Alice's scared and concerned face. Assaulting…someone else. But not like the others. This fight happened inside, or at least that's how it felt?

He vaguely recalled cooking. Properly cooking. Using the wealth of skill he'd acquired and paid for with over a decade's worth of concerted effort. The realization brought the memory back in force and he gasped as he remembered. It was soup. He'd gone with a seafood theme. He found he could remember the specifics of it quite clearly. The spices he'd added; the meat he'd sliced. Alice's troubled face as they left the hall.

Sōma grabbed his head, cursing softly. Things got hazy after that again. He could barely remember getting back to the mansion. Let alone getting into bed. He glared at the dull reflection as Alice's face passed through his mind's eye again.

"What did you do?" whispered Sōma, what anger he could muster up draining out of him almost instantly. He was simply left with a hollowness in his chest; one that was too empty to be called sadness, seeing as sadness simply drained out of him and went elsewhere.

Sōma's reflection didn't verbally respond but Sōma got his answer from his own memories in a burst of sudden, vivid recollection. Sōma saw the boy raising the pipe to strike Alice. He felt again that cloying feeling of fear and despair as he watched her fall to the floor. He felt a white hot rage that burnt through him and snapped what little control he had. And with it had come a torrent of emotions.

Sōma's other half had acted in defense of Alice, this was true. But it had also used the opportunity to allow the violence to act as an outlet for his emotions. All of the negativity that had become such a part of Sōma needed somewhere to go and his other half was only too eager to use the golden opportunity presented to him. Each strike and blow, while methodical and calculated, had brought with it a vicious thrill; a dark joy at using his fists to inflict his pain on others. Sōma had seen it all and been unable to do a single thing.

A knock at Sōma's door broke him from his dark musings.

"Come in."

The door opened and Alice stepped into the room. Sōma saw her and was reminded of how she'd looked at him for the rest of the day after the forest. The fear and apprehension in her gaze had hurt even more than the guilt he felt at what he'd done.

"Sōma-kun."

Her voice was soft and she was looking at him evenly; none of the previous day's anxiety present in her gaze. She closed the door behind her and folded her arms, meeting his eyes.

"Is that the nice you in there today, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma looked away, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly. His refusal to meet her gaze and open expression of shame caused Alice to sigh, smiling softly.

"That answers that, I suppose." she said, walking up to him. Her smile fell as she turned his head so that he was facing her. "What happened yesterday, Sōma-kun? What…who was that? Because that wasn't you."

Sōma licked his lips, wondering how to explain what had happened without sounding completely insane. Then he realized that he and Alice were probably already far beyond that.

"When I saw you get hit, I thought the worst and I just…snapped. And then, suddenly, I wasn't in control anymore. It wasn't a fight or a struggle; he'd risen up and displaced me so completely that I couldn't even think of fighting back. I tried to retake control but it was like trying to…I don't know, like trying to climb ice. I couldn't even begin to get a grip."

Sōma glanced up at the mirror and saw his reflection, standing stoically as it always did. His next words were hesitant and he found his gaze locked onto the black orbs staring back at him from the mirror.

"I think…I think I've just been getting by on his disinterest. I don't think I have any control over the situation at all."

The small smile that briefly flickered across its pale face was all the confirmation Sōma needed. He took a step back, surprised at the movement more than anything else.

"Well what does he want then?"

Alice's blasé question gave Sōma pause. He looked at her and she shrugged, almost overly casual.

"As distasteful as I find this situation, Sōma-kun, we need him. We need you. Don't we? This… _these_ parts of you barely know the right end of the knife to hold."

There was no condemnation in Alice's tone. She was simply stating the truth, however bluntly.

"I'm all for putting you back together again, but we don't exactly have the time to play doctor. Momo-senpai's challenge is scheduled for this Friday at 4:00 PM. Azami just made the announcement."

Sōma glanced over at Alice, surprised. Alice nodded in response to Sōma's unasked question.

"I know, that's only four days from now. Insanely soon, all things considered. I'm not exactly sure what Azami's playing at." she said. "This would've made sense before, considering Azami would've thought you were out of commission. But now he knows that to not be the case. Unless your other side's not as good a chef as we think?"

Sōma shook his head, thinking back to the soup he'd prepared for Saito's challenge. It had been a light, seafood based soup, with a particular emphasis on mackerel. Sōma hadn't been in control but, based on what he could remember and what he'd tasted, it had been some of his best work. Especially considering the ingredients they'd had on hand.

"He's good. Maybe even better than I was when I was less…divided. He's less distracted and focused to an insane degree. It's hard to judge from one meal alone but I'm sure it wasn't lacking in any way that would give Azami reason to doubt me, especially considering that he'd have access to the scores that Saito-senpai submitted to him. It's not a question of my ability. It can't be."

"Then what could it be?" asked Alice. "Do you think he's banking on you causing another incident and disqualifying you for it?"

"That sounds more likely although I still feel as if it's not the right answer." said Sōma thoughtfully. He sat down on his bed, cradling his chin in thought, before looking over at his reflection, which had continued to eye them silently throughout the discussion.

"Any ideas?" he asked, not a touch petulantly. The discoloured mirror image remained quiet and Sōma sighed, cradling his chin in his hand at the predictable response, or rather lack thereof.

"Well, I suppose we could start at least going over the details for Momo-senpai's task." said Alice, mistakenly attributing Sōma's question to herself. "I'd meant to earlier but things being as they are had me more than a little preoccupied, I'll admit."

She stepped over to Sōma's desk, picking up the manila folder resting on it. She snapped it open, leafing through the pages thoughtfully as she read through the pages. Her eyebrows rose.

"Well. That's interesting….wait."

Alice continued reading, furrowing her eyebrows as she paged through the information. Suddenly, she realized just what Azami planned to do.

"Oh… _shit._ "

The expletive caused Sōma to look up in surprise. Swearing, while not unheard of, wasn't something he often heard from any of the Nakiris he associated with.

"Sōma-kun…there's no way that you can pass this task." she said, looking up at him earnestly. Sōma tilted his head at her.

"Well…Alice, I know. That's the whole problem. We've been over this. I can't cook unless-"

Alice waved a hand sharply, cutting him off. She placed her index finger on the page in front of her and traced the words as she read them again, confirming what she already knew.

"This isn't a traditional cooking challenge, Sōma-kun. We're going to be acting more as instructors. Guides. Officially, we'll be sous chefs. But we won't be taking the lead at all. This challenge is going to emphasize our ability to give direction to our head chef while taking their direction as well. This is going to be a give and take between leadership and teamwork. Can you honestly say that you, either of you, could do something like this?"

Sōma opened his mouth to speak but then paused as he thought back to the previous day and just how his alternate personality had acted when it had free reign. Taciturn, emotionless, terse. Less than amenable to anyone that didn't happen to be Nakiri Alice. Capable of following directions but noted for only following those he chose to, such as the directives of Saito's challenge or Alice's plea to leave Ryo alone.

No. He wouldn't be able to do this challenge at all, even if they had a way to get him in control before Friday's trial. And he couldn't do it as he was. He didn't have the cooking expertise he'd need. Especially considering he'd be playing second chair.

"I hadn't considered that." said Sōma honestly. "I've been so focused on getting myself to play ball that I didn't even think about how useless he'd be for this challenge regardless. He doesn't really play well with others."

"That's putting it mildly." said Alice sardonically. "I can't imagine him being a good sous chef to anyone except…well, me, possibly. And I don't exactly meet the requirements for being a head chef in this challenge, even if I felt inclined to."

Sōma sighed again, getting to his feet suddenly.

"Well. I suppose all we can do is take this one step at a time. As it stands, we both need head chef candidates. Did you have anyone specific in mind?" he asked.

Alice tapped her chin thoughtfully before shaking her head.

"I can't say I do. There's no one I know offhand well enough to trust with something like this. I have some contacts I could tap to point us in the right direction if needed, but that's about it."

Sōma hummed thoughtfully before starting, his eyebrows raised. He thumped his fist into his hand, grinning mischievously at Alice.

"Actually. I just had an idea. There's a place I think we need to go and check out, Alice."

* * *

"What is this place, Sōma-kun?" asked Alice, peering curiously up at the building. When the red haired chef had said he had the perfect place to do some headhunting for Momo's challenge, Alice had assumed they'd be going to someone's home. Or perhaps to another school within driving distance. But instead, Sōma had directed the driver to take them to what seemed to be a community centre in a nearby school district.

"DEF Kitchen…" said Alice thoughtfully. She would've said she'd never heard of the institution but there was a slight glimmer of recognition in the back of her mind. The name itself seemed familiar.

"This is a local cooking school." said Sōma, exiting the car. He turned back to face the driver briefly. "We shouldn't be too long, Manatabe. Feel free to wait here or go for a drive. We'll call you when we need you."

"I'll simply wait, Yukihira-sama. It's no trouble at all." said the driver politely.

Sōma nodded at him before turning to step up beside Alice. He looked up at the sign and felt a small smile form on his face. He'd only been here once but it had left an impression in more ways than one. The afternoon he'd spent with Megumi here, teaching those elementary school kids, had been one of the highlights of his time at Tōtsuki, despite the simplicity of it. Or perhaps because of it.

No stakes. No pressure. No attempting to refine his cooking masked as another "just for fun" cooking experiment. Just simple, light hearted fun with one of his closest friends and a group full of kids. He made them smile and laugh, taught them how to make _gyoza_ and just had a good time of it. It had reminded him of happier times, before he'd come to Tōtsuki. Satoshi's perceptiveness had come through once again for them and he doubted the second year knew just how much he'd appreciated getting to have a day like that.

The elbow Alice gently prodded him with brought him out of his musings. He chuckled at the arched eyebrow she gave him.

"You were saying?" asked Alice pointedly.

"Ah, right. Well, this is a cooking school. A normal one, more of a community centre than anything. Kids come here after school to learn to cook. It's not some high class preparatory academy or anything. But Tadokoro-chan and I came here once before to teach these little kids at Isshiki-senpai's request. They were a handful but, once we got them under control, it was an amazing afternoon. Tadokoro-chan was really in her element, you should've seen her." said Sōma happily, gazing up at the simple sign.

"It doesn't sound like she was the only one." said Alice quietly, peering sidelong at Sōma's face. At the honest joy there.

"Sōma-sensei!" shouted a voice.

Alice turned to see a small girl hop from the inside of a car to run up to them. She wore her long blond hair in two pigtails and had on an elementary school uniform along with a pair of striped stockings that Alice would've bet weren't a usual part of the school ensemble. Her bright brown eyes were lit up in excitement.

She ran up to Sōma, stopping breathlessly before him. She started to smile before seeming to get her expression back under control, although the happy gleam of her eyes told Alice she was faking it. She crossed her arms imperiously and looked away from the boy, blushing slightly at her momentary break in decorum.

Alice resisted the urge to coo at the girl's haughty demeanour. It reminded her of her cousin, for all that they didn't resemble each other.

"Hello there, Kanon-chan. How are you doing?" asked Sōma, smiling gently down at the girl. She looked back at him, straightening her back as if to loom over him. The attempt was more adorable than intimidating.

"I'm doing well, Sōma-sensei." she clipped maturely before whining just as immaturely when Sōma ruffled his hand through her hair.

"It's not Sōma-sensei, Kanon-chan. It's been a long while since I've taught you much of anything. Yukihira or even just Sōma's fine by me." he said, laughing at the glare she levelled on him as she backed away to turn and fix her hair.

It wasn't until she was satisfied with her efforts that she turned back to face them.

"Not true, Sōma-sensei. You teach me stuff all the time. Like just yesterday, you taught me a new way to slice mackerel!" she said proudly, planting her fists on her hips as she gave him a look of superiority.

Alice blinked at the child before looking over at Sōma, who didn't seem surprised at all by her statement.

"Sōma-kun, what does she mean by that?" asked Alice.

As if her words had suddenly made her real, Kanon looked at Alice. She squinted her eyes, eyeing the girl up and down critically.

"And who's this person, Sōma-sensei?" she asked questioningly. She peered even closer at the Nakiri before stomping towards Alice, looking up at her. She pointed a finger at Alice accusingly.

"Hands off Megumi-sensei's property, lady!"

Alice blinked down at the suddenly aggressive child before looking at Sōma, who seemed torn between exasperation, humour and general embarrassment. He looked away from Alice's imploring gaze, blushing brightly and coughing.

"Kanon-chan seems to be convinced that Megumi and I are going out together. No matter how many times I've assured her of the contrary." he mumbled.

"No, that's not it. I know you're not boyfriend and girlfriend. I'm not a child!" she protested. "But I know that you and Megumi-sensei are _destined_ for one another. So you will eventually be. Duh!"

Kanon punctuated her statement by extending her tongue out towards Sōma.

That was the last straw for Alice and she began laughing, unable to contain herself. Kanon turned to glare at Alice but the childish expression of fury only served to make her laugh harder. Sōma looked at Alice flatly, rolling his eyes but smiling as well. It was pretty funny, after all.

After almost a minute, Alice finally began regaining some semblance of control. Her face was bright red and she was forced to wipe an actual tear from her eye as she began to calm down, smiling indulgently at the second grader, who clearly didn't appreciate the joke.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Kanon-chan." said Alice, restraining herself. "I didn't mean to offend you."

Kanon turned away from her, completely ignoring her in favour of Sōma.

"So who is she, Sōma-sensei?" she repeated. "And my threat from before still stands."

"This is Nakiri Alice, Kanon-chan." said Sōma. "She's in the same year as me and Tadokoro-chan at Tōtsuki."

Kanon looked back at Alice thoughtfully before suddenly perking up. She smiled devilishly at the girl before looking back at Sōma.

"She's the girl you trounced with those candies we gave you for that big Autumn tournament thing." she said decisively.

That statement cut Alice's joy short and she glowered at the girl, who seemed far too smug now that she recognized her.

"Sōma-sensei kicked your ass." she added smugly before yelping as she was struck lightly on the head by Sōma's hand.

"Watch your language, Kanon-chan." admonished Sōma. The stern look he gave her prompted Kanon to look away, rubbing her head. "Now, apologize to Alice."

"Why? It's true! You totally kicked her…butt." she finished meekly. "I saw it myself on the TV. All of the judges voted for you, it wasn't even close."

"That doesn't mean it's okay to be rude. Now say you're sorry." he said firmly.

Kanon looked up at him rebelliously before turning to face Alice. She gave her a bow that was more of a deep nod than anything.

" _Gomenasai_ Nakiri-san." she muttered.

"Good girl." said Sōma teasingly, patting her on the head. Kanon crossed her arms, fuming but accepting the condescension for what it was. Sōma looked over at Alice, who was staring at them in bemusement.

"And to answer your initial question, Alice. After Tadokoro and I taught here, Kanon-chan began watching us on the Tōtsuki TV network. If what she's told me is true, she has all of our shokugekis recorded on her television at home. And she has both me and Tadokoro's numbers programmed into her cell phone."

Kanon held up her cell phone proudly. Sōma shook his head at her, chuckling.

"Every so often, she'll text me and ask me about how I did something in a match. A particular sauce I made, or a particular cutting technique, for example. And I'd tell her and she'd try it herself. I haven't exactly gotten much chance to taste most of her creations but they've been amazing, from what I've heard through the grapevine. She's quite the talented, little chef."

"And it's all thanks to you, Sōma-sensei." she said eagerly. "Once I graduate elementary school, I'll go to Tōtsuki and follow in your footsteps."

Sōma chuckled again, smiling fondly at the girl.

"Don't do it for me, Kanon-chan. If that's what you really want, then do it for yourself. Use that passion and forge your own path forward. Leave your own footsteps on the grand journey that is cooking. And who knows? Yours may be bigger than mine, when all is said and done."

"Really?"

Kanon was clearly awed by the thought of someday being better than the Yukihira chef and it showed on her face.

"In fact, Kanon-chan. That's part of the reason we're here today." said Alice, giving the girl a mysterious look.

"It is?" she asked, looking up at the white haired chef curiously. She seemed to have abandoned her animosity in favour of the curiosity Alice's enigmatic statement provoked.

"Yes, actually. It's…"

Before Alice could continue, Sōma held up a hand. He was looking over at the street, where a taxi had just pulled up to the curb. Specifically, he was looking at the passengers currently exiting the vehicle with a look of surprise.

Megumi stepped out onto the sidewalk, smoothing down her skirt. She was soon followed by the form of Nakiri Erina. Neither of the young women had taken notice of the other Tōtsuki students yet. Megumi turned to the front car door and handed the driver a few bills with a smile and a few parting words. She turned back towards Erina, as if to speak, but paused when she saw just what had caught the other girl's attention.

"Oh! Sōma-kun. Alice-san." said Megumi in surprise. She looked between the both of them before bowing politely, almost on reflex. "Good afternoon."

Erina didn't give a verbal greeting. She simply had her arms crossed and was giving both her cousin and the Yukihira chef an even look.

Alice, being Alice, completely disregarded Erina's equanimity. She waved cheerily at the both of them.

"Tadokoro-san, Erina. Hello to you too! I see you got my texts."

"Alice." said Erina, not unkindly but not very kindly either. She looked over at Sōma, who was smiling softly at the both of them. "Yukihira-kun."

"Erina." he said in response, grinning even wider. Her next words wiped the smile from his face.

"Sorry we're late. We just came from visiting Eizan-senpai in the hospital."

The words hit Sōma with an almost physical force. He took a step back, staring at her in complete disbelief. Erina's gaze wasn't quite hostile but it definitely contained more than an undertone of accusation. Megumi bit her lip, looking away from Sōma's stunned face. Her expression was one of clear discomfort. Erina continued speaking, delivering her words with the calmness she usually reserved for her critiques.

"Most of the damage is fairly superficial, according to the hospital staff. He has a broken nose, a black eye, two bruised ribs and an untold number of other contusions. Along with the dislocated shoulder, of course. But he's healing. They say he'll probably be discharged within the week, although his arm will be in a sling for a while."

Erina glanced over at Alice, who was simply staring at her evenly. Her face could've been carved from ice for all the emotion it showed.

"Bruised larynx. Another broken nose. A fractured jaw. Two broken fingers. More bruised ribs and a cornucopia of other scrapes and bruises. Those are the injuries you left his friends with, Yukihira-kun."

Sōma's eyes were still widened and he was staring at Erina. He hadn't moved since she'd began speaking.

"How could you do that, Sōma-kun?"

The sad tone in Megumi's voice prompted Sōma to swivel his head towards her. She was looking away from him, refusing to meet his eyes. The sad disappointment on her face was another blow to Sōma that he felt in his chest, in the place where his heart sat. He licked his lips, opening his mouth cautiously.

"Tadokoro-chan…I…"

He faltered. He didn't know what to say.

"So much damage, Yukihira-kun. So much pain. The…the scale of it. The sheer…senselessness…" the port town chef whispered, as if she couldn't believe it. Despite all of the evidence.

Erina's gaze was hard and unyielding. But her words were just as filled with disappointment as Megumi's bearing.

"I really thought better of you."

Sōma looked at Erina and he felt a sensation. A familiar sense of weightlessness and displacement. Along with a brief rush of panic.

To an outside observer, it wouldn't have seemed like anything too out of the ordinary. Sōma leaned back, his shoulders shifted and he blinked twice before slipping his hands into his pockets. That was all. But to everyone present, those that knew him, the change was almost palpable in the air around him. The gaze he levelled on Erina was devoid of feeling.

"I do what is necessary. That is all. You said yourself the wounds are superficial. I ensured they would be."

Sōma's voice was clipped and flat. Empty. Emotionless. Alice was taken aback by the sudden, unexpected shift, although she still kept a tight mask of control on her features. But the eyebrow she raised was as good as a gasp of surprise in her current state.

Erina's eyes narrowed, far from intimidated by the sudden change in Sōma's demeanour.

"Ah. So it's you. The other Yukihira Sōma."

"Other is an inaccurate representation of the situation." he responded.

Kanon looked up at Sōma worriedly. She tugged lightly on his sleeve.

"Sōma-sensei. Are you feeling alright?" she asked concernedly. Even as far removed from the situation as she was, she could tell that something was off.

Sōma gave her no verbal response. He simply removed his sleeve from her grip before looking back at Erina.

"I do what is necessary. Nothing more." he said simply.

Kanon narrowed her eyes at him and she planted her fists on her hips.

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" she snapped angrily.

Again, Sōma ignored her, in favour of staring at Erina.

"Um, Kanon-chan." began Megumi, looking between Sōma and Kanon with concern. "I don't think you should be standing there. Why don't we head inside?"

Kanon looked at Megumi petulantly, folding her arms.

"No! I wanna know what's wrong with Sōma-sensei. He's being super weird and I don't like it."

"I'll explain everything soon. Just…just come inside with me." pleaded Megumi, trying and failing to not glance at Sōma as she approached them slowly, the way you would approach a dangerous animal.

She tried to take Kanon by the hand but she snatched it back angrily, moving out of Megumi's reach and closer to Sōma.

"I said no! Erina-sensei shows up looking all mean and starts talking and suddenly Sōma-sensei's all roboty. Something's fishy. And I'm not going anywhere until someone tells me what's going on. Right! Now!"

She punctuated her statement with two loud stomps.

Megumi hesitated again, looking at Sōma, who hadn't reacted to Kanon's presence in the least. She looked back at the girl.

"Well. Um. Sōma-kun did something. Something very bad. And we're trying to talk to him about it, which has made him…unhappy. That's all. Really. In fact, this is something pretty personal so we should give them their space, alright?"

Megumi held her hand out beseechingly. Kanon gave it a distrustful stare before turning to Sōma, who had foregone staring at Erina in favour of looking over at Alice.

"Well…fine. But this isn't over, Sōma-sensei!" she cried, pointing a finger at him accusingly. She took Megumi's hand with hers and they both walked into the centre. The doors closing behind them was all the signal Erina needed.

"Yukihira-kun. I'm well aware that Eizan-senpai isn't the most scrupulous of individuals. But your reaction was both excessive and cruel. He told us what you did. How he surrendered, only for you to assault him regardless. How you had him beaten into the dirt but still went ahead and broke his arm."

"Dislocated." he rebuked mildly.

"Semantics." she responded heatedly, now actively glaring at the boy opposite her. He calmly raised an eyebrow in response.

"I assure you the difference is more than academic. A cleanly dislocated shoulder requires nothing more than a simple set and a period of rest. A broken arm can have any number of complications and-"

"That's not the point, Yukihira-kun!" she snapped angrily. "I could care less what academic rationalization you have for it. It wasn't necessary. Eizan-senpai had capitulated to you. You were clearly his physical superior and all of his men were similarly injured. There was NO reason for you to do what you did."

Sōma tilted his head at her.

"And if he had taken a bat to the back of my head, what then?" he asked. "Or Alice's?"

"There were ways around that and you know it." said Erina tightly. "You could've tied him up or simply removed the weapons from his person."

"And what if he'd found a tree branch? Or perhaps a large rock? Or roused some of his allies to action and caught up to us on the path?"

"You're being ridiculous." said Erina, narrowing her eyes at him. "Fine. Then how about knocking him unconscious? A blow to the head or the back of his neck, perhaps? If you could do what you did, then I'm sure that would be just as easy."

Sōma shook his head at her.

"You would be incorrect. The chances of me giving him long term damage that way are much higher than needed."

His tone wasn't patronizing, being as lifeless as it usually was, but the implication in his next words was clear.

"Movies and manga are not good source material to base your assumptions on."

Erina flushed, gritting her teeth. He had a point. It wasn't as if she knew much about the actual technicalities. Or had ever seen anyone knocked out in real life. There really was only one place such an assumption could've come from and that was the fictional world. The naiveté of it all made her cheeks burn.

Not one to admit defeat, and still assured that her core point was correct, Erina continued through her embarrassment.

"Since you seem so well versed, you tell me Yukihira-kun. Couldn't you have found a gentler way of subduing Eizan-senpai? Something less damaging and traumatic than the brutality you visited upon him?"

Sōma's eyes flickered momentarily, thinking.

"Yes. There were several ways."

Erina smiled, grimly triumphant.

"Then why?"

"To send a message."

Sōma glanced over at Alice. At the small, red bruise that still sat on the corner of her chin.

"All threats will be dispatched with extreme prejudice. No exceptions. Eizan-senpai was a tool to get that message across to Nakiri Azami. And anyone else that would take it upon themselves to threaten me. Or those I care about." he said finally.

"Is that what we'd need to do to contact you then?" interjected Alice, Sōma's words triggering a thought in her head.

Sōma looked over at Alice considerately.

"You don't exactly seem very conversational. When we need you to use the cooking skills that you've…acquired from Sōma-kun, a threat would be enough to get you in the driver's seat?" she asked, though not without some anger in her voice.

Sōma didn't say anything for a moment. He looked up, eyes flickering back and forth, as if he were looking at something they couldn't see. Finally he snapped his eyes to Alice's.

"Strictly speaking, yes. Threats of physical harm would cause me to react, as I'm not prepared for those sorts of confrontation in my weak persona." he said.

"Good to know." she said tersely. "Erina, go ahead. I believe you were interrogating Sōma-kun?"

Erina didn't respond to Alice's glib question. She was still turning the brief exchange she'd witnessed over in her mind. It had left her with several new, frustrating questions. She gave her cousin a piercing look that Alice matched with faux innocence.

"To be honest, Alice. I find myself wanting to interrogate you now. I think an update of sorts on Yukihira's condition would be appropriate before I go any further." she said. "Although I don't think now's quite the time. We've wasted enough of that, as it is. We should be getting inside."

Without another word, Erina turned her back on both of them and walked towards the DEF kitchen building entrance. Once she'd entered and the door had shut behind her, Alice had rounded on Sōma.

"How do I go about getting you back? The nice one?" she asked, poking him in the shoulder, as if there was a button there that controlled the process.

"Ask." he said.

Alice stopped her prodding. Was it really that easy?

"How exactly would I do that?" she asked him.

"Just ask me. If it helps, I could simply ask you. Would you like me to allow my weakness to reassert itself?"

"I…yes, that would be best. For now." said Alice, noting Sōma's use of the word weak once again. She'd tackle that issue later, when they were less pressed for time. And in a less public place, hopefully.

Sōma closed his eyes. After a few seconds, he opened them and warm gold had replaced flinty bronze.

"There he is." said Alice, smiling. "How do you feel, Sōma-kun?"

Sōma looked around, his face now open and expressive. He had a look of confusion on it.

"Fine, I guess. What happened Alice? The last thing I remember is Erina and Tadokoro showing up and then…nothing."

Alice frowned up at him, rapping her knuckles lightly on his forehead and getting a bemused look for her efforts.

"You really can't remember? Like at all? Your other side came out. I suppose in response to Erina's rather abrasive behaviour. The conversation got rather heated. Yet you don't remember a thing?"

Sōma grimaced, scratching his head and shaking it.

"Not really. Brief little bits, I guess? I think I remember...Kanon-chan being mad with me? And Erina…Erina was really mad. Or at least that's the impression I've got in my head. But I can't grasp any of the details. It feels like I'm trying to catch water."

Alice crossed her arms, still frowning.

"Well, that's odd. And unfortunate. Yet another thing to add to the list of things we need to fix with you when we have the time, Sōma-kun. But we don't have it right now. We need to get inside and keep Tadokoro-san from poaching us."

"Oh, right!" said Sōma excitedly. "You've got a point, Alice. Let's get in there."

Alice followed Sōma's lead into the community centre. She looked around with some interest at the building as they walked through it. It was a fairly small place. One of Tōtsuki's standard kitchen classrooms would have barely been able to fit inside of it.

She passed an open doorway, noting the circle of older women standing around and talking to each other as they poured over a recipe book. Their destination was the very next door over. Sōma opened it, waving cheerily as he entered.

" _Ohayo_!" he shouted cheerfully, waving at the group of kids that were currently crowded around a table behind which sat Megumi and Erina. They both had sheets of paper and pens and were talking animatedly with the students present before quieting at his boisterous entrance.

"Hey! It's Sōma-sensei!" shouted one boy, running up to Sōma.

"I told you!" called Kanon from her position seated on the edge of the table at Megumi's left. "You done with robot time, Sōma-sensei?"

Sōma chuckled at the girl's brazen paraphrasing of his condition.

"Yes, yes. Robot-Sōma-sensei is safely put away. Have you guys been behaving yourselves?"

"We sure have, Sōma-sensei!" said a girl with short black hair and bright eyes. She held a children's cooking textbook cradled in her hands. "Megumi-sensei and Erina-sensei come here like every week to help us out."

"So I've heard. Kanon-chan's been keeping me updated." he said, smiling.

"Why don't you come around more, Sōma-sensei?" asked a dark, spiky haired boy. He was holding a small paring knife and a carrot and seemed to be midway through whittling it into an action figure.

"Ah, well Shota-kun. I've been pretty busy, all things considered. I do wish I could be here more." said Sōma sincerely. He glanced over at Megumi, who was speaking fondly with another black haired girl. She had a rose pin perched in her hair. "I'm sure Tadokoro and Erina have been holding down the fort well enough though, right?"

"Yea. Erina-sensei's amazing!" said a boy, who was staring up at Erina from where he stood at her side. The hearts in his eyes were almost visible. Erina smiled indulgently, patting him on the head.

"Thank you, Ko-kun." she said.

"Much as I appreciate this many fresh faces, I'm forced to wonder what has so many of Tōtsuki's finest gracing my classroom."

Sōma turned and smiled at the elderly lady that entered the room.

"Fiji-baa-san, hello!"

Fiji nodded at Sōma, returning his smile with one of her own.

"Hello to you too, Yukihira-kun. Do you require something of me? Or perhaps my class? Time's a-wasting and I'm not being paid by these kids' parents to chat."

Sōma chuckled, pulling an envelope from his pocket and handing it to her.

"Consider this lesson paid for by Tōtsuki. We actually need your class' help. The money in there should cover classes for the rest of the week, along with a little extra on the top if you're willing to accommodate us."

Fiji opened the envelope, bypassing the yen notes and pulling the sheet of folded paper from it. She opened the letter, pulling spectacles from her pocket to perch on her nose. She read steadily, her eyebrows rising as she understood just what was being asked of her.

Fiji chuckled, folding the letter and placing it into her pocket.

"I must admit, this sounds very interesting. I can't take your money though, Yukihira-kun." she said, pressing the envelope back into Sōma's hands. "I'm more than willing to help you, however. We'll call it a field trip, along with a little guest lecturing thrown in. Most of the parents have heard of Megumi-chan and Erina-chan's efforts here, after all. It won't seem so strange."

Sōma grinned, lunging at Fiji and wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you so much, Fiji-baa-san." he said, hugging her tightly. The old woman chortled, patting Sōma on the back.

"Nonsense. This'll be a wonderful opportunity for my students. I'll call their parents and make all of the arrangements, don't you worry about a thing."

"Thanks. We really appreciate it, Fiji-baa-san." said Megumi, giving the woman a smile of her own.

"I just hope we don't disappoint you all. I run a modest setup here myself. Who can say how we would fare at some place like Tōtsuki Culinary Academy?" said Fiji.

Erina looked around at the collection of children that she'd helped personally teach. She'd come to know all of them over the course of the many afternoons she and Megumi had spent here during the months Sōma was gone. So she felt confident in her next statement.

"Oh, don't worry Fiji-san. I have a feeling Tōtsuki won't know what hit it."

* * *

Momo's challenge took place in a set of classrooms, much like Saito's, although she used the lecture halls on the opposite side of the building. The announcement had asked the participants to gather by 3:30 PM in the adjacent classroom associated with the kitchens on the East hall. As with Saito's challenge, the students all started filtering in with time to spare. By 3:15, over eighty students sat gathered in various groupings around the lecture hall. Including two that immediately caught Takumi's eye when he entered the room.

"Yukihira!"

Sōma paused in his conversation with Alice, turning to face the blonde boy. He was leaning against a desk near the front of the room with his hands stuffed into his pockets. He raised one in response to Takumi's approach.

"Ah, Aldini. Yo!" said Sōma, waving cheerfully with a wide smile.

Takumi stepped up, hands on his waist. He squinted, sizing Sōma up and down. He leaned forward, almost nose to nose with the Yukihira chef.

"You seem alright. Are you fully recovered from whatever that madness was earlier this week?" asked Takumi.

Sōma scratched the back of his head, looking away sheepishly.

"Ah, well…it's a bit more complicated than all that, you know. I'm working on it though. Promise." he said, giving Takumi a thumbs up to go with his wide grin.

This cheer did nothing to assuage the Italian's scepticism but a call from his brother interrupted his interrogation.

"We'll talk again soon, Yukihira. Try not to get yourself tossed out in the meantime." he said, walking away. "After all, I still need to get my mezzaluna back from you. I can't very well do that if you're expelled."

"Same old Aldini. Hiding your concern behind paper thin animosity." said Sōma, chuckling.

Takumi rounded on the boy, a vein throbbing in his head.

"Watch it, Yukihira. Don't think I'm going to take it easy on you just because you're not feeling well. I'm coming for the first seat, whether you like it or not."

Sōma shook his head, his grin still fixed in place.

"No way in hell. You can have the second, if you want though. I've got no use for it."

Takumi's face grew red and the vein in his head grew more pronounced as he leaned forward.

"Now isn't the time for your cockiness Yukihira. I'll sit atop Tōtsuki come second year, you can count on it!"

Takumi huffed, turning away and marching over to where Isami stood. Sōma watched him walk away with a small smirk. It seems his competitive spirit was as alive as it always was, though he'd stop caring all that much for gaining the first seat title. It was a means to an end; an attainable goal. And it was hard to be passionate about something you knew was in your reach, be it through you or those you surrounded yourself with. One way or the other, he'd get what he needed.

"Sōma-kun?"

Sōma glanced over at where Alice stood at his elbow. She was sitting on the edge of a desk, swinging her legs back and forth. The childish motion suited her.

"We still need that other part of you out for this. How do you think we should go about it?" asked Alice.

Sōma thought back, trying to focus on the memories that heralded his change over. They all had the same distinctly fuzzy quality, as if he was trying to make sense of a blurred television image. He closed his eyes, trying to reach for the recollection that he could sense beneath the surface. He got a brief glimpse of concern, fear and rage before it was abruptly drained away, leaving him void.

"I'm not sure." said Sōma honestly. "I can almost remember some things but nothing really concrete. It just keeps slipping."

Before he could comment further, a rapid scuffling noise caused Sōma to open his eyes. He gasped, widening them further as he took in the fist coming at his face. A brief spike of fear was followed almost immediately by a sensation of falling and weightlessness that he would only barely remember later.

Sōma's hand came up and it caught the fist, gripping it tightly.

Ryo looked at where his hand was held in Sōma's, unconcerned. He glanced up into Sōma's eyes before looking over at Alice, who stood to the side.

"Seems like it worked ojou." he said.

"Thank you, Ryo-kun. I appreciate your help here. Sōma-kun, if you would?"

Sōma stared at the fist he held clutched in his hand.

"Conspicuous, aggressive motion. A pause. An unnaturally wide swing with little power behind it. This was a feint."

Sōma's statement was clinical. Ryo shrugged at the analysis.

"Wouldn't call it that. It would've hit you if you'd been any slower. Just would have stung instead of blackening your eye. Unlike some people, I know how to exercise restraint." he commented dully.

Sōma didn't respond to Ryo's observation. He simply released his fist and stepped back, his posture straightening.

"It's almost time, Sōma-kun. How are you feeling?" asked Alice, placing her hand on his arm. Sōma glanced at it but didn't move to take it off of his arm or to take it into his own.

"Nothing of note has changed with me, Alice. I'm ready." said Sōma.

"Do you think you can do this?" asked Alice concernedly. Sōma shrugged, unaffected.

"It's not a question of my ability. It's a question of if she can actually follow my commands properly."

Alice frowned at Sōma's wording but, before she could berate him, the double doors at the front of the room opened and Momo strode in, followed by several Tōtsuki staff members. She held Bucchi to her chest, as she usually did. A pencil and clipboard were clumsily taped to his fake paws. Close behind her was an exasperated looking man, who was following a step behind her. He took his place at her side as they came to the front of the teaching desk.

Momo gestured sharply towards him and he leaned down. She whispered rapidly in his air, swishing her free hand left and right as she explained things to him. The aide's expression became more and more uncomfortable and he cleared his throat, interrupting the fourth seat.

"Ah…Akanegakubo-san, it would be much easier if I were simply able to read the notice you prepared."

Momo swatted at his hand, which had begun to reach for the clipboard "held" in Bucchi's paws.

"No. Bucchi needs it to take notes. I already told you this, Hideki-san." said Momo sharply, glaring up at the man.

Hideki sighed, withdrawing his hand. He turned to face the crowd of expectant students, clearing his throat again.

"Greetings all. My name is Hideki Ryouga. I'm Nakiri Azami's aide and head of security, as some of you may already know. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Nakiri-sama won't be able to join us today so I am here in his place. I will also be acting as Akanegakubo-san's announcer today."

Momo drew her foot back and kicked Hideki in the back of his shin. He didn't react to the strike, other than to close his eyes and sigh.

"My apologies. I will be acting as Akanegakubo-san and… _Bucchi-san's_ announcer today." he said. He ignored the many snickers that the addition drew. "Now, before we move onto the main event, I have a simple question for you all. What is the purpose of food?"

Hideki looked around at the students expectantly, waiting. When no response was forthcoming, he spoke again.

"That's not a rhetorical question. I assure you. Or I should say, Akanegakubo-san assures you. Please, answer. Yes, you, young man. Your name?" he said, pointing to a raised hand near the middle row.

"Mori Gentian." supplied the shades wearing youth. His baseball cap was pulled forward, further obscuring his face as he leaned back on his chair's back legs. "Food's purpose is to be eaten. Duh."

"Well, of course. But why do we eat food?" asked Hideki.

Genti snorted.

"I don't know if you've heard, Hideki-san, but there's this little thing called starvation. Not a whole lot of fun, or at least so I've heard."

Genti's sarcasm was palpable and it earned him a few laughs, along with a huff from Hideki, who didn't seem amused.

"Well, of course Mori-san. There's the need for sustenance. That's implicit. But why then do we not just eat the same thing, over and over? If it were simply the need to keep our bodies going, why then are there so many different branches of food? Why so much variation, if we only need a few select food groupings to keep ourselves healthy and alive?" asked Hideki.

Hideki turned to the assembled staff members and waved them forward. The servers all carried white boxes with them and they wove in between the students with practiced efficiency, placing small, brown squares of chocolates on saucers in front of each of the students as they pulled them from the boxes, one after the other.

As they worked, Hideki continued speaking.

"We have entire branches of cooking dedicated to food that is, quite plainly, useless to our bodies in terms of the nutrition it provides. We even have an entire section of the standard meal devoted to these branches."

Hideki held up one of the brown squares, rotating it between his fingers. The way the square rolled and bucked between his fingers without falling off spoke to his dexterity with the motion.

"Dessert is a staple conclusion to any proper, multi course meal. However, the vast majority of desserts are worthless from a biological standpoint. They do nothing for the body but add on extra calories. Calories that would be much more easily obtained by additions to any of the other parts of a standard meal. So why then, has it become so ingrained in cuisine's very nature if it truly isn't necessary? Yes, Erina-sama?"

"It's because of the taste, obviously." said Erina, lowering her hand. She held up her own square, examining the little slab of chocolate. "Despite its lack of nutritional worth, desserts provides a valuable, additional layer of experience to the meal. It's oftentimes the sweet accompaniment to a meal that allows the meal to end on a high note. And that's without even considering the interaction sugar has with the brain's pleasure centres."

"Exactly, Erina-chan. Bucchi approves." said Momo, holding the stuffed cat doll high. She withdrew quickly at the attention she received, shuffling behind Hideki's form. He seemed both bemused and exasperated at the childlike antics of one of Tōtsuki's most talented.

"It is just so, Erina-sama." said Hideki. "Taste is an important part of any meal. Any idiot can sustain themselves with cooking. It takes little skill to boil rice or make noodles. But it takes the truly skilled to fully bring out the taste in an ingredient. And nowhere is that more important than in the dessert portion of the meal. It's the end of the meal; people are sated and approaching a full stomach by the time dessert is announced. It's a course that exists entirely to be experienced for the limits it can push your taste buds to."

Hideki clapped twice and the double doors behind him opened, more staff members entering the classroom. Behind them stood several lines of children. They crowded and jostled each other playfully, talking quietly amongst themselves except for the occasional loud outburst of laughter. They all wore identical, white chef uniforms.

The lines of children filed in front of the desk, forming themselves into a large, uneven group. Hideki stood at their centre, a relative giant among them. He spread his arms wide.

"While people of most ages have at least some appreciation for dessert and its associated tastes, none do so more purely and honestly than children. Their palates are youthful and pure; they exist for the taste of a dish and nothing else. At the expense of all else; children will prioritize the taste of a dish. Not its richness, its looks, its difficulty or its scent. Simply the way it feels on their tongue."

Hideki paused to look down into the sea of children. He leaned forward curiously before being pulled forward and downward, disappearing into the crowd. After a few seconds, he rose from the mess of tiny limbs, a frown fixed on his face. An irritated Momo was perched on his shoulders while Bucchi sat proudly astride his blonde hair.

"They tried to touch Bucchi, Hideki-san. Can you believe it?" asked Momo quietly but heatedly. Hideki felt the vein in his head began to throb but he bit his tongue, sighing. He continued his speech, ignoring the cat's paw poking him in the side of his head and the grins this inspired in the crowd.

"Children will play a large role in today's challenge as a result, as their judgement is the single best measurement for a dessert's taste and quality. In fact, they'll be playing two large roles."

Hideki craned his neck, struggling to stay upright with the diminutive fourth seat sat atop his shoulders. He gestured with his head, considering his hands were occupied, and a trio of children stepped forward from where they'd stood apart from the main grouping.

The first child was a sharply dressed youth. He stood in a full, three piece suit and his dark hair was professionally styled, sweeping leftwards in a coif that practically screamed _money_. He held a cane in his hands, clearly more for appearances than anything else and the small smile on his face was one of politeness as opposed to true joy. He had on small white gloves and sharp, blue eyes looked out at the crowd of older teens.

The second child was almost as badly dressed as the first one was well dressed. He had on a smudged, long sleeved tan shirt and a pair of blue overalls that were dirty and scuffed in several places. Only one of the straps was buttoned while the other was stuffed haphazardly into the front of the garment. He had dark, spiky hair and that was all that could be seen of his face, as the rest of it was held downwards, focused on the gaming handheld device in his hands.

The third child was a girl. She wore a bright blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Her purple hair was tied into a long ponytail and she had bright green eyes that were narrowed and glaring out at the crowd. Most noticeable about her was the large blue stuffed cat she held in her hands.

Hideki nodded at them and the well-dressed boy stepped forward, bowing.

"Greetings everyone. My name is Malo Haru of the Island Malo's. I'm sure you've heard of my family, considering we're responsible for almost a fifth of Tōtsuki's cooking supplies. I will be one of your judges on this fine day. The only way you can get my vote is if I'm offered something I consider of value, be it favours, trinkets or the right monetary amount. The score I give you will directly reflect that."

The boy's blatantly corrupt statement was met with stunned silence. Hideki nodded to the girl who glowered at him before returning her glare to the crowd.

"Hey. I'm Akanegakubo Mimi. As you've probably guessed, I'm Momo-nee's little sister. I didn't even want to be here but she made me come because I've tasted so much of her dumb pastries over the years that I'm apparently a great judge of convection prowlers or something."

"Confectionary prowess, Mimi-chii." corrected Momo.

Mimi's face grew red and she continued, pointedly ignoring her sister.

"Yea, that. Momo-nee's the most annoying big sister in the world so I'm going to do my best to judge you all so badly and wrongly, she never asks me to do any of her dumb cooking stuff again. So the more likely your dish is to piss off Momo-nee, the more likely you are to get a good score from me."

Her statement was met with just as much incredulity as Haru's had been. Hideki nodded at the third child but the scruffy boy continued playing his video game, unaware of Hideki's attempt to signal him. A kick from Mimi prompted him to jump and he looked up, grey eyes annoyed.

"Introduce yourself, dummy." snapped Mimi. The boy rolled his eyes but lowered the handheld, looking out at the room disinterestedly.

"Hey there. My name's Hashimoto Kida. I'm no one special really. My dad teaches here. Not sure what class. I'm pretty sure the purple haired short lady made me a judge accidentally. Um…you'll probably get props from me if your food somehow manages to be more interesting than Heart of the Warrior 4." he said, waving his game at them for reference. "Considering it's going to be a bunch of dumb cakes and stuff though, I highly doubt I'll do so much as taste most of your stuff. Don't really like sweets."

Kida looked back down at his game, ignoring them in favour of going back to mashing the buttons on his device. The cheerful beeps and chimes coming from his game were the only sound in the room for several seconds. Finally, a hand went up.

"Yes?" asked Hideki, smirking.

"Hideki-san. I don't mean to question Momo-senpai's decisions but the judges she's chosen seem…less than impartial." said Alice carefully, looking between the three children curiously.

"That's exactly the point, Alice-san." said Hideki. "These children were selected specifically for two things; their tasting abilities and their overwhelming bias. The dishes you create will need to be of such an exemplary quality that the judge in question is able to look past their sense of greed, their personal feelings or their simple, electronic distractions to give you a fair ruling."

"I see." said Alice carefully, already considering what she'd need to do. This complicated things. She'd known the judges would be children but the information Rindō had provided Sōma with hadn't included such an odd caveat. Which means the maroon haired girl had intentionally misled them or the decision had been a last minute one. Both were, unfortunately, equally likely possibilities.

"Each judge will give you a score from 1 to 20. These scores will be summed, weighted and added into your standings accordingly." said Hideki, shuffling slightly as he was jostled from below by the children, who were growing impatient.

"Now, if you recall I said children would be playing two important roles in this challenge. The first is, of course, the judging. The second role will be the cooking."

Hideki held up a hand to forestall the cries of confusion that had begun to spring up in response to his statement.

"The rest of the children you see here are all pulled from a variety of private institutions around Japan. They range from the ages of 6 to 11, with a noticeable leaning towards the older side of that. They've all attained exemplary marks in their school home economics courses, and have also passed the battery of proficiency tests Akanegakubo-san engineered for them to prove that they deserve to be here. You're each going to be assigned a student from this pool to be the head chef on your dish."

Hideki's hand was not enough to stop the cries of outrage that sprang forth.

"What the hell?!"

"No freaking way!"

"Are you insane?!"

He tried to speak over the loud protests but was unable to get a word in edgewise. Momo, from her perch atop Hideki's head, was waving Bucchi furiously at the protesting crowd but the angry vein in the stuffed cat's head was having little effect. The competitors were furious. And rightly so. They hadn't risked this much and come this far to leave their fates in the hands of someone else, let alone children!

Sōma looked at his watch, saying nothing. He noted the ticking seconds before looking around at the clamorous crowd. Taking one more look at his watch, he nodded to himself and got to his feet in one smooth motion. He wasn't noticed immediately but his standing had a ripple effect as those around him saw him get to his feet and quieted.

He turned to face the raucous crowd and a hush fell over them as Sōma's gaze fell on them. His cold eyes scanned the crowd, sweeping over it and enforcing his will upon every last pair they met until the room was silent once more. He let the silence stand for a few seconds before speaking. He said one word.

"Children."

His contempt was palpable, for all that the word was said with no passion. It was clear he wasn't talking about the children present behind him. He continued standing and staring silently for another few seconds before taking his seat and looking forward.

"Hideki. Just for clarity's sake. Are we allowed to choose the child that will be our head chef for this challenge?" asked Sōma.

Hideki blinked, looking at Sōma curiously. He seemed confused.

"Um…I suppose that's allowed. I believe the rule was as long as the child's assignee agrees to the swap. Is that correct, Akanegakubo-san?"

Momo looked down at Bucchi, holding his mouth to her ear. She nodded once and then again, listening. She finally nodded a third time and looked up.

"Bucchi concurs. That's the ruling."

"And what of unassigned children?" asked Alice, smiling mysteriously up at Azami's aide. Hideki blinked again, tilting his head.

"I'm not entirely certain. I don't believe there can be any unassigned children, after all. Everyone's accounted for."

"But what if someone left right now? Forfeited their shot at participating in the Elite Ten trials? Then wouldn't their child be unassigned, technically?" asked Sōma, leaning his chin onto his fist, the picture of disinterest. "What happens then?"

"Or what if I wanted a specific child on my team instead of one chosen for me? Not just anyone can handle my trattoria's cooking after all." said Takumi proudly, smirking confidently from his position at the left edge of the classroom.

"Yea. Seems unfair that we don't have a hand in picking who represents us in this challenge. After all, we're the ones risking it all." said Subaru, frowning. The large, dreadlocked chef was sitting almost directly in front of Hideki and he glared up at the aide in turn.

Slowly, more people started to give their own questions, with none of the earlier chaos that had so briefly overtaken the room. Hideki looked in between them, thrown off by the barrage of inquiry.

"Well…I…that is…" he began before being silenced by a bop on the head from the person still using him as a steed. He grunted as Momo stood, balancing precariously on his shoulders. She raised Bucchi above her head and held him out towards the students.

"Alright, Bucchi has made a decree. You can pick anyone you like to be your head chef, as long as they are under the age of twelve, have permission to participate and can be here in the next five minutes. Now, go ahead and bring in your ringers, Yukihira Sōma."

"Ringers?" asked Hideki in surprise, receiving another bop on his head for his troubles as Momo retook her seat.

"Isn't it obvious, Hideki-san?" asked Momo, watching and noting the students that got to their feet, heading to the classroom's side door, conversing in quiet tones. They were all, in one form or another, persons of interest to Central. "Clearly, someone leaked the details of the challenge. And they came prepared."

"What?" cried Hideki, watching as the group led in a group of children, all bearing signed forms, wide grins and chef's uniforms. At their head was a girl with twin ponytails and striped leggings, grinning widely up at Tadokoro Megumi, who talked animatedly at the small group as they entered and began dividing them up.

"Akanegakubo-san, I urge you to stop this. You know Nakiri-sama prepared a specific few of those assignations personally." he whispered urgently.

Momo shrugged.

"Well Azami-sama isn't here. And I don't take orders from you."

"You can't be serious!" said Hideki. "You must know that my will is as good as Nakiri-sama's will in this situation. He would want the exact same thing!"

"I guess we'll never know." said Momo idly, watching the new children pair themselves up with the Elite Ten applicants. As expected, they all chose to pair themselves with one of the group that she'd identified as being Sōma's.

"We're gonna do great, Erina-sensei!" said Ko, grinning up at her. Erina patted his head, smiling confidently.

"Well, of course. I doubt any other team can top us, Ko-kun." she said.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Erina-chan." said Megumi playfully. She was holding Ai's hand, the shy girl huddling behind the blue haired chef, peeking out at the large crowd of strangers that made up the middle of the room. "Ai-chan and I have been working on a few things. I think you'll be hard pressed to top us."

Alice was looking among the crowd of DEF kitchen students; counting them off with her fingers. She frowned before counting them again. She walked over to Fiji, catching her attention with a wave. The old woman stood at the door to the side entrance, prepared to go to the spectator's section.

"Fiji-baa-san, hello! There seems to be a student missing. My partner, specifically. Do you have any idea where she is?" asked Alice.

"Ah, yes. Ta-kun. Unfortunately Alice-san, Ta-kun was unable to make it today. He came down with a cold and his parents had him stay home for the day. I'm sorry, I know you two had quite the dish to prepare together."

"Really? That's disappointing; it would've been lots of fun. Please give him my best next time you see him." said Alice.

"Of course." said Fiji. "Now you run along and find Kanon-chan. She's agreed to step in and be your partner in exchange."

"Really?" asked Alice, surprised. "But I thought she was Sōma's partner."

"As did I." said Fiji. "But while we were outside, a new child showed up. I'm not exactly sure who she is but she had all of the necessary paperwork and informed us that she would be joining our group."

At that, Fiji chuckled.

"She's a rather assertive one, that. She insisted she be Sōma-kun's partner and managed to convince Kanon-chan of all people to let that happen."

"I'm not too surprised that she would be open to that, all things considered. Even Kanon-chan's hero worship could only take so much of what Sōma-kun put her through this week." said Alice disappointedly. The week they'd spent preparing had mostly consisted of Sōma coldly berating the ponytailed girl for every little mistake she made. "I'll go find her right now then. Thank you, Fiji-baa-san."

Alice went to go find Kanon but her search ended almost as quickly as it began as she stumbled into the young chef. She steadied the girl carefully as they both almost fell to the floor.

"My apologies, Kanon-chan. I didn't see you there."

"It's fine, Alice-sensei. I was looking for you anyway. We get to be partners!" she said, smiling reservedly.

"So I heard." said Alice, smiling in return.

"To be honest, much as I like Sōma-sensei, I think I'd prefer to be your partner anyway. Robot-sensei's pretty mean." she said, pouting.

Robot-sensei was what she'd named the cold, distant other part of Sōma she'd come to know in the preceding week. The part that had none of the classic good humour and cheer she'd come to associate with the actual Sōma-sensei. Alice had found herself stepping in more than once to work with and advise the girl when Sōma's attention, or lack thereof, pushed her too far.

"So Fiji-baa-san was telling me that a new girl offered to trade places with you?" prodded Alice.

Kanon nodded, turning and pointing over to where Sōma stood, talking to a somewhat tall girl in a dark navy chef's uniform. Most of her hair was obscured by the matching chef's hat she wore. Alice couldn't see much more detail from where she stood but she was almost certain she'd never seen the girl before in her life, let alone in the week they'd spent preparing with the students from the DEF kitchen.

Alice tilted her head, her bang swaying as she considered the young girl. She seemed to be talking rather animatedly with Sōma who was, to Alice's immense surprise, nodding and speaking along with her. When he was in this state, it was a challenge for Alice to get him talking, let alone anyone else. The fact that this unknown person could do it so easily spoke volumes.

"Who are you?" said Alice to herself before smiling mischievously. "Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out."

She walked over to the pair, bouncing with each step. She stopped in front of them, smiling cheerfully and clapping her hands together. Sōma glanced at her, nodding. The girl turned to face Alice and she got her first good look at the mysterious new arrival.

The girl had rather sharp features, although they were still held in check by the rounded baby fat of childhood. She had dark violet eyes and a sharp nose, along with high cheekbones that gave her a regal bearing that seemed out of place on one so young. What little of her hair Alice could see beneath the edges of the chef's hat was a deep black. There wasn't a hint of brown in that color.

Looking into the girl's face gave Alice a sense of familiarity. A vague one she couldn't quite place. It was like having a word on the tip of her tongue but being unable to make it fully materialize. Alice knew she had never seen this girl before but she also felt as if she had. She extended a hand out politely to the girl.

"Hello. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. I'm Nakiri Alice." she said.

The girl's mouth fell into a small 'o' and she nudged Sōma with her elbow.

"So this is her, huh nii-chan?" she said. Her tone was one of interest and she looked Alice up and down critically, taking her in with a calm eye. She met Alice's red gaze and held it searchingly for several seconds before smiling. It was a small smile of pride and satisfaction.

A smile that made Alice gasp as her brain made the final connections and she froze like a deer in the headlights as the vague sense of familiarity settled into cold clarity. Her mouth dropped open in shock as her eyes flared upwards in surprise. She knew who this was.

"You…you're…"

The girl bowed politely before stepping forward and taking Alice's now-limp hand in her own. She shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you, Alice-san. I'm Sōma's little sister, Yukihira Kumi."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Well, here we go guys! I promised you guys it wasn't goodbye forever and I'm here to fulfil that! We hop right back into Nisegami with a super long chapter. I hope you all enjoy. It's good to be back.**

 **Now, for those who read my previous note, you know that I promised that when I returned, all of the chapters would be written. I have broken that promise. Don't panic! I'm sure it will be finished, especially considering the posting schedule I'm going to implement and the fact that there's only a few more chapters left for me to write, but I simply thought today was a poetic day to start posting again. It's been exactly one year since I officially put Nisegami to sleep.**

 **Like holy shit, has it really been a year? Geez.**

 **Anyway, I'll be posting these chapters biweekly, as in once every two weeks, with no writing blocks to hold me up this time! So look forward to a conclusion to this pretty epic ride sometime in the near future. I debated having some sort of 5-chapter countdown when we start nearing the end but I decided against it, I like to leave you guys in suspense. Hope you enjoy!**

 **And please feel free to leave me a review, whether you wanna thank me for returning or swear at me for being gone so long. I take all kinds! See ya Sunday after next!**


	25. Chapter 24

"Yukihira…Kumi." said Alice. She looked down at the small, pale hand in hers before looking up at the young girl, who was staring at her in quiet amusement.

"Yes. Yukihira Kumi." she said. "I'm assuming you have no idea who I am? Although, by the look on your face, I assume you're at least somewhat familiar with my namesake?"

Alice didn't speak. She couldn't speak. The child in front of her…this dark haired girl…she was…

"Alice is well aware of who you are, imouto." said Sōma placidly. "She's known about you for a while now."

Kumi's eyebrows rose in surprise and she looked over at Sōma, whose expression hadn't changed.

"Really now? And just why is that?" she asked. Sōma shrugged.

"She needed to know." was all he said in response. Kumi eyed her brother critically before sighing and shaking her head.

"We're really going to need to get you some help when this is all done, nii-chan."

Sōma shrugged again, unconcerned, before returning his attention to Alice.

"Kumi will be assisting me. Kanon will be acting as your partner for this trial."

The brief exchange between the siblings had given Alice time to compose herself. She'd closed her mouth and her expression had settled into one of barely restrained surprise as opposed to the open shock it had been. She looked between the both of them before turning to look at the crowd around her. Most had missed the small exchange, wrapped up as they were in conversing with their partners and preparing for the challenge.

She turned back to face the duo before her, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. Once she let it out, her eyes reopened and she fixed a stern gaze on Sōma.

"I spoke to Fiji-baa-san and Kanon-chan on the way over here, so I'm well aware. She informed me that Ta-kun fell ill and wasn't able to make it in today." she said.

"And if you were to speak with Ta-kun or his parents, they'll tell you that they received a missive from one Yukihira Sōma, informing them that you'd dropped out of the running and no longer needed a partner." said Kumi.

"I see." said Alice evenly. "And why exactly would he do that?"

"I wouldn't." said Sōma. "There was no need."

"According to you, nii-chan." said Kumi. "But then, this entire debacle with you and the Nakiri family tells me you're not the best at properly differentiating needs, anyway."

Kumi's sharp statement was made rather calmly but the effect it had on Sōma was noticeable. His eyebrows drew down and he gave her a heavy look that would've sent lesser men to their knees but just made Kumi roll her eyes.

"Yes, yes. Very scary." said Kumi, waving her hands mockingly at him. "Let's just get this over with, nii-chan. You and I have a lot to discuss."

"Maybe you should've thought of that before you took the initiative to come all the way here from Niigata." said Sōma.

"I wouldn't have, if someone had bothered to give us his new number when he changed cell phones _months_ ago." she responded heatedly.

"I told you I would be out of contact and you know exactly why that was." said Sōma with a flicker of irritation. "Nothing and no one can be considered beyond Azami's reach. Tapping my phone is the least of what he would do."

"Oh yea, I'm sure. It was for my protection. Of course it was. It's not because you're overly controlling or anything. Of course not."

Kumi's sarcasm didn't faze Sōma and he responded as if her statement was made sincerely.

"Yes. That's exactly it." he said evenly. "He's a very dangerous a man, as we've told you so many times before."

Kumi scoffed, turning away from Sōma.

"You're just like her, I swear. Running around with your tail between your legs, afraid of big, bad Nakamura Azami. Where's your spine, nii-chan? Did he take that from you too?" she asked.

"It's easy to say that from where you're standing, isn't it?"

Kumi paused at the unexpected interruption. She looked over at Alice, who was giving her an even, somewhat sad look.

"You've never so much as met the man and you want to presume you have any idea what he's like or what he's capable of." continued Alice, folding her arms.

Kumi didn't snap at Alice the way she had at Sōma. She drew herself back and folded her arms, mirroring Alice's stance as her face settled into a cool, dignified expression.

"I'm well aware that he's a dangerous individual, Alice-san. I know quite a lot about Nakamura Azami. More than you probably do." she said sharply.

Alice shook her head, her shoulder length bang swaying with the motion.

"I highly doubt that, Kumi-chan. I know you may have facts and figures and stories. But I've seen what he's done first hand. Those he's hurt. Those he's damaged…"

Alice's mind conjured unbidden images of a young Erina, her tear streaked face projected across a wall as she yelled for her father to bring her out of the cold darkness he'd left her in. Sōma with his head in between his knees, yelling and screaming as the negativity instilled in him by Azami overtook him.

"That man…he's done things that I can't even begin to imagine doing to a complete stranger to his own family. His own daughter. And the scariest part of it all is that he believes it's worth it. He believes what he's doing is right. To Azami, he's the undisputed hero of his story and his actions are synonymous with what's right. Things like morals, rules, love, restraint…"

Alice clenched her fists tightly, looking down as even more memories rose up.

"None of that matters to him."

Kumi looked perturbed by Alice's sudden speech but, before she could comment, a bell was rung at the front of the room.

"Alright. You've all had enough time to get acquainted with your partners." said Hideki, refusing to look towards the left side of the room where he knew Sōma's group to be gathered. "Those of you children without partners are free to go and join the other spectators on the side lines. Participants, please proceed into the next room and claim a cooking station."

Hideki gestured them forward and the competitors began filing through the double doors on either side of the classroom, proceeding into the attached kitchenx. Hideki continued speaking over the quiet shuffling.

"Each station is stocked identically and you'll be receiving a further fifteen minutes to determine what's available to you. If there's anything special you would need for your dish, please inform any of the uniformed staff members on either side of the room. They'll be happy to retrieve it from the storage facility. In addition, as mentioned in the announcement, you would've been free to bring any outside materials you require."

The participants filed in, accompanied by the children that would hold their continued fate in the Elite Ten trials in their hands. The atmosphere wasn't quite tense but it was also far from relaxed. Quiet discussion was being had as the chefs of Tōtsuki tried to adapt to the unorthodox circumstances, some with more success than others.

"You seem like a pretty cool kid." said Genti, patting the girl that had been assigned to him on the head. She frowned petulantly at the treatment, glaring at Genti, which only cause him to laugh and pat harder. "Spunk. I like it!"

"Um…Subaru-sensei, is this really necessary?" asked the short, blond haired boy quietly. He was another one of the DEF kitchen students and he was currently pantomiming the motion of stirring a spoon in a bowl. Subaru was crouched, watching his hands with an almost disturbing intensity as he muttered to himself, jotting things down in the small notepad he always carried.

"Um…Subaru-sensei, is this really necessary?" said the tall, dark skinned chef, his voice pitching high in an almost exact imitation of his partner. The child leaned back, eyes wide. A pose Subaru almost immediately copied. Without changing his expression from the wide eyed look of fear he was imitating, Subaru responded in a completely serious voice.

"Yes, completely Li-kun."

"But…but I thought you'd be done copying me since today's the event and all." said Li hesitantly.

Subaru's expression didn't shift.

"My Ultimate Perfect Trace is never truly finished."

"You're a quick study. I'm sure we'll do well." said Isami, smiling beatifically at the quiet girl that was his partner.

"But the…um…the _thing_." she whispered, glancing around. "The thing you want me to make is so hard. We only got it right on our last try yesterday!"

"I've got faith in you." said the large boy, patting her on the back. "We'll do great."

Hideki looked around, biting his lip as he saw the conversations percolating through the room. As he watched chefs swap partners left and right as they found children that matched their preferences better than the assignations that had been designated for them by the combined efforts of Azami and Momo. He looked down at the list he held in his hands before looking up, watching their carefully constructed plan fall apart. He resisted the urge to glare at the individuals that were the catalyst for such a change.

"Akanegakubo-san. I implore you to reconsider this decision. Reinstate the original assignments. Please." he said urgently.

As the crowd of children had entered and dispersed, Momo had clambered down from his shoulders and stood at his side near the centre of the room as they watched the students prepare themselves.

"Nope. I don't think I will. And you can't make me." said Momo simply, turning her back on him.

Hideki grit his teeth, pulling his cellphone from his pocket.

"Fine. I see you leave me no choice then. Nakiri-sama won't be pleased at this interruption. Not in the least."

Hideki found his hand gripped in another, much larger hand. He turned to face the imposing figure of Somei Saito.

"Why don't you and I go enjoy Momo-chan's challenge from the side lines, Hideki-san." asked the fifth seat politely. Despite his tone, it was clear he wasn't asking at all and he used the grip he had on Hideki's wrist to steer him towards the crowd of spectators.

"Unhand me at once, Somei-san." said Hideki angrily, tugging ineffectually at the tall teen's hand. He looked around the room, raising his hand to signal his men but found none of them in attendance. He looked again, confused as to why he didn't see any of the dark suits and shaded glasses that would denote members of his security team. He had at least four of them stationed with him at all times!

"I'm afraid I've sent them on something of an errand, Hideki-san." said Saito. He leaned over and casually plucked the phone from Hideki's grip and dropped it into an empty pot at a passing station. He set the pot under a faucet and turned the knob, leaving the confused pair of participants to watch him walk away, the security aide in tow.

"My apologies for dropping your phone like that, Hideki-san. It seems I'm rather clumsy."

That was the last the students heard of their conversation as both the fifth seat and the security aide got out of earshot. The buck toothed child looked curiously at the pot, where the mobile had floated to the top of the slowly rising water, its screen flickering and dying as it shut down.

"Should we…turn the water off?" he asked, looking up at his partner.

Ikumi didn't respond to his question. She simply stared after Saito's retreating form, watching him intensely and thinking back to the conversation she'd had with him weeks prior.

* * *

 _"Saito-kun needs to borrow Nikumi-chan for a quick second, ok Sōma-kun?"_

 _"May I ask why?" said Sōma, raising his eyebrows slightly, his tone neither confrontational nor conciliatory._

 _Rindō put her finger over her lips, smirking conspiratorially._

 _"Nope. It's a secret. Go on now, Nikumi-chan."_

 _Ikumi looked to Sōma who simply nodded at her. The swordsman gestured for her to follow him and turned on the spot, exiting the kitchen at a brisk pace that Ikumi struggled to match, the door slamming shut behind them._

" _So what exactly did you need me for, Saito-senpai?" asked Ikumi, walking faster in an attempt to keep up with his much larger stride. Saito didn't respond immediately but, when he did, his words were enough to make Ikumi stop walking completely._

" _I'm considering nominating you for the Elite Ten Council."_

 _Ikumi stared after him, confused and thrown by his statement. He continued walking and, when it was clear he wasn't stopping, Ikumi jogged to catch up to him._

" _Wait! What exactly do you mean Saito-senpai?" she asked._

" _Azami-sama requires each of the graduating seat holders to nominate a student they feel is fit to take a seat on the council. It will come into play during this year's Selection process. I've chosen you as a possible nominee." he said simply._

 _Ikumi processed the words in her mind, considering what he'd said. She knew the Elite Ten Selection was coming, of course, but she'd had no idea of how it was g ` oing to be done. But she could see the value in what Azami was doing; his top soldiers were leaving but he could game the system to ensure they had control over exactly who got to be on the council next year. He couldn't make it completely arbitrary, this was the Elite Ten after all, but putting his thumb on the scale was well within his power. But that thought only brought Ikumi to a very pertinent question._

" _All due respect Saito-senpai, why me?" she asked, panting lightly as she began to feel the toll of keeping pace alongside the towering older student. "I mean…I wasn't even in the top 8 for the Autumn Elections. Shouldn't you be choosing someone like Yukihira or Kurokiba?"_

 _As if he'd been summoned, Ryo rounded the corner in front of them. He held a wrapped bento box in his hands and his expression was fixed in its usual, tired stare. He stopped in front of them, prompting them both to stop as well. He nodded at them._

" _Hey there, Mito-san. Saito-senpai." he said, raising a hand._

" _Good day, Kurokiba." said Ikumi. Saito simply nodded._

" _I presume you received my message, Kurokiba-kun?" he asked. Ryo nodded, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket._

" _Yup. Yukihira slipped it under my door earlier today. Speaking of which, either of you have any idea where he's at? Ojou wants me to deliver this to him."_

 _Ryo held up the bento box, which was wrapped in a bright pink cloth._

" _Oh, yes. He's actually just up ahead. It's the third kitchen down from here." said Ikumi, pointing behind them. Giving her a nod of acknowledgement, Ryo walked past them._

" _I'll be joining you shortly, Saito-senpai." he said, idly waving farewell._

 _Saito began walking again, prompting Ikumi to spin around and do the same._

" _As I'm sure you could've guessed, Kurokiba-kun is here today for much the same reason you are. He's also a potential candidate for my nomination." he said. "I'll be testing all of you today."_

 _He stopped walking as they made it to a door that Ikumi knew led to one of the smaller shokugeki arenas._

" _And to answer your previous question, Mito-kun. You're right. You were not particularly remarkable to me before. You were somewhat formidable but overshadowed by the true heavyweights of your generation, such as Yukihira Sōma or the pair of Nakiris your year boasted."_

 _He turned to face Ikumi fully for the first time and his steel grey eyes looked into her own._

" _But then you started training with Kobayashi. And survived. Thrived, even, if half of her bragging is to be believed. That made you much more interesting."_

 _Saito opened the door, gesturing for Ikumi to enter. Through the opening, she saw a small group of other students standing near one of the stove tops in the distance. Some, like Mimasaka Subaru and Hayama Akira, she recognized. Others, she did not. She saw an array of cooking implements, far more than was usually provided, arrayed on the counter tops._

" _The one who's left standing at the end of my test will receive my nomination. And most likely a seat on next year's council. That person could be you, Mito Ikumi."_

 _Ikumi gulped before stepping, as if to enter the room. But right before her foot crossed the door's threshold, she paused. Things still weren't adding up to her. Why go through all of the trouble of making sure you could influence the Selection, only to leave it up to chance like this? Azami had specifically gone out of his way to manipulate the system and ensure he had a say in who got on next year's council. Why would he allow Saito to essentially roll the dice with it?_

" _Saito-senpai. All due respect but I find it hard to believe that Azami-sama would make a decision like this."_

 _Ikumi's tone was measured and she kept her gaze straight ahead, where she could see the gathered crowd of potential nominees conversing amongst themselves and occasionally glancing at them. She heard Saito sigh softly._

" _Nakiri Azami is not who I thought he would be. I've made an error in judgement and it's too late for me to correct it on my own. This here," he said, gesturing out to encompass the open room and the crowd of students. "Is all I can do for now."_

 _Ikumi noted the distinct lack of Central affiliated students in the room._

" _I see." she said evenly before marching decisively through the door._

* * *

She'd doubted Saito's words, as she'd seen no evidence that he was anything but fully loyal to Central since their brief conversation. At least not until she'd seen him accost Azami's head of security. He couldn't think that would do anything more than delay things, however.

But, then again, a delay could be all they needed. Fixing the match was one thing but even Azami would be hard pressed to change the actual results once the trial itself had been concluded. Not after the results were broadcasted live for anyone to see.

"Who's that girl?"

Her partner's question roused Ikumi from her thoughts and she looked at where he was pointing to see a tall, dark haired girl standing at Sōma's station talking with him. Ikumi's eyes narrowed, wondering why the girl seemed vaguely familiar.

"I'm not sure, to be honest." said Ikumi but before she could ponder it further, she noticed Momo climbing onto a chair at the front of the class.

The fourth seat raised her hand, clearing her throat pointedly. As the room fell into silence, she held the cat doll in front of her face and held him out towards the crowd. Momo began speaking, her voice much lower than it normally was.

"Bucchi here! Momo-senpai asked me to inform you all that the challenge is about to begin. You've all had time to discuss your dishes with your partners, I trust?"

"Bucchi's" head rotated left and right, expectantly. No one responded and what seemed to be a large tic mark appeared on his forehead.

"Very well. Bucchi takes that silence as a YES. As was said in the announcement; you are to prepare a dessert dish. That's the only criteria. However you are not to do any of the cooking yourself, beyond the simple prep work associated with the lowliest of sous chefs. Your child partner will instead be in charge of the bulk of the cooking and it is your job to guide them as they prepare the dish of your choosing. The time limit is three hours but you are free to come and get judged before the time has expired. Is everyone ready?"

Looking around again for a response, "Bucchi" found his question met with silent nods from most of the participants, though a few were simply staring at the odd display in bemusement.

"Bucchi" looked around once more before nodding his head.

"Then without further ado, the time starts now. Go!"

At the command of the stuffed cat, the participants got to work.

"Let's get to it, Preppy." said Genti, kneeling down to the cooler he'd brought. He reached to the side of it and handed a grocery bag to his partner. She took the bag hesitantly, unloading its contents onto the counter.

She stared at the large can of pineapple juice and the box of instant vanilla pudding with wide eyed surprise. She looked into the empty grocery bag before looking over at her partner, who was continuing to rummage in the cooler.

"I…I thought you were kidding, Genti-senpai!" she exclaimed. "Are we seriously going to d-?"

"Yup. Get to it Preppy." he said, winking at his partner. Not that she could see it behind his sunglasses.

"But…senpai, that dish would be so simplistic. Are you completely certain?" the girl asked.

"As certain as I'll ever be." said Genti. "Less chance of you screwing things up for me this way, Preppy."

"My name's not Preppy!" snapped the girl. "And I'll have you know, I come from one of the most elite private schools in the country and am on the fast track for Tōtsuki's middle school branch! I'm skilled in Japanese, Italian and French styles of cooking and I've made over a thousand dishes. So you can stop treating me like an ignorant child."

Genti looked up at her, cocking his head at her. He beckoned her forward with one finger. The girl approached, confused. Gesturing for her to lean down, Genti gripped her ear firmly, placing his mouth near to it. He began speaking, lowly.

The girl's expression went from confusion to surprise to shock before finally settling on pale faced fear. She tried to turn to face Genti but he tugged on her ear insistently, continuing to speak. After a few more seconds, he released her and she took two steps back, staring at the trench coat wearing boy in wide eyed terror.

"Do we understand each other?" asked Genti mildly.

"Y-y-yes. Yes, Genti-senpai. I understand." she stammered, unable to look away from where she could feel his eyes boring into her own from behind his dark sunglasses.

"Great. Now get to it." he said, giving the girl a grin that only served to make her yelp and stumble over herself to begin opening the package of instant pudding powder.

Across the kitchen, activity had already started in earnest. Ingredients were being whisked, pans were being heated and fruits were getting sliced. The air started to take on a sweet, confectionary scent that only grew sweeter as time went on and the dishes progressed.

"Just like that, Li-kun." mumbled Subaru, shadowing the boy's every move from two steps behind, albeit with air rather than the tools and ingredients the young boy was using.

"Hai, Subaru-sensei." the boy said with a look of concentration. He finished whisking the ingredients, placing the bowl of egg whites down on the counter before reaching for another.

"Wait!"

Li froze, looking up at where Subaru's left arm hung over his from the older boy's impressive height. Slowly, the arm moved and Li followed it, his left hand moving from the bowl of cream to the bowl of egg yolks.

"Of course, it's the yolks that's up next, not the cream." said Li. "That way—"

"We don't have to wash the whisks in between." said Subaru, with Li echoing him in unison. The boy nodded, picking up the bowl of egg yolks and beginning to beat it in earnest. Subaru followed his motion exactly, drawing the attention of a nearby proctor, one of many Momo had assigned to ensure the Tōtsuki students didn't overstep their bounds.

"Hey! You there, what are you…"

The proctor trailed off as he came closer and saw Subaru holding nothing but air over his partner's head. With a timing that was more than off putting, they both rotated their heads to face the woman.

"Problem, examiner-san?" they asked simultaneously.

Yes. There was a problem. How creepily in sync they were. But that, in and of itself, was not against the rules so the examiner shook her head and continued walking past to inspect another station.

"A-ha!"

The examiner slapped her hand on the counter, startling the Tōtsuki student that was about to pour a bright yellow mixture into a sauce pan. The boy in question flinched, almost dropping the bowl he held.

"Ah…examiner-san. I was merely-"

"Merely nothing! Now you hand that mixture to your head chef right now. That's your first strike. Two more and you'll be booted straight out of this challenge and your partner will continue on alone. Do you want that to happen?"

"N-no ma'am." said the student fearfully. He looked to his partner, a young boy, who was shaking his head at the older teen. His expression made his next words superfluous.

"I told you so. Baka."

Hayama noted the interaction with interest. The strike system hadn't been explained to them prior to starting but he supposed it made sense. The line between head and sous chef could be blurry at the best of times and it would be unfair to be overly harsh with something so ambiguous.

His nose twitched, the sensation alerting him to a peculiar scent. He reached over and lightly grabbed his partner's wrist before it made it over the mixing bowl.

"That's cumin. Not cinnamon." he said simply.

The girl blanched, looking at the nondescript bottle in her hand.

"I'm so sorry Hayama-senpai! I'm still getting used to your marking system and I almost wrecked our dish because of it."

Tears began to well up in her eyes and she began that particular sort of breathing that heralded sobs.

"I'm s-sorry Hayama-senpai! I didn't mean to, I swear!"

Before she could continue, she was silenced by the hand Hayama clasped on her shoulder. He smiled down at the girl.

"Relax, Fuu-chan. You're doing well. I'll be here to guide you every step of the way, ok? So there's no need to cry."

With his other hand, he reached up and wiped away her tears with his thumb.

"I'll be right here beside you, every step of the way. Don't worry."

Fuu's eyes grew large and her cheeks grew red. Hayama's smile fell as he saw the way she began looking at him. In that moment, he would've sworn he saw hearts where her eyes should be.

"Thank you, Hayama-senpai."

The love-struck tone she used had Hayama stepping back slightly and he fought to keep the sudden fear he felt off of his face.

"We can do anything with you here to be my white haired knight." she said dreamily, clasping her hands together.

"Ah…right." said Hayama. "Shall we get back to it then?"

Fuu nodded and returned to the mixing bowl with new fire in her eyes. As Hayama watched her get to work, he wondered if he'd be forced to find some way to tell an eleven year old girl prone to crying that he was spoken for without it ending badly. The shivers that suddenly went down his spine at the thought told him that there really wasn't.

"Kanon-chan, you're doing great." said Alice, arranging the ingredients for the next step of the dish on the counter. "You'd think we'd been partners this whole time."

Kanon smiled at the praise, flicking one of her twin tails behind her haughtily.

"Well of course. I'm the best in our class for a reason, Alice-sensei." she said, setting the oven timer before closing it. "Do you need any help with preparing the...um, Alice-sensei? What's that?"

"Silicone Plastique." said Alice, holding up the small blue ball of putty she held in her hands. She rolled it between her fingers, humming approvingly before setting it aside where she'd already rolled several blue balls. Kanon picked one up, sniffing at it experimentally.

"This doesn't smell like food, Alice-sensei." she said.

"That's because it's not." said Alice, opening a tub that contained a similar looking compound, though this one was white. She began rolling a ball of it together. "Silicone can be used to make custom moulds, which is what we'll be using in our dish. Once you put the blue putty together with the white, we can form them into whatever shape we desire and it will harden and become useable in less than an hour."

Kanon placed her finger on her chin, thinking, before snapping her fingers triumphantly.

"Ohhh! So that's how you and Ta-kun got all those pretty pictures on your stuff! I always wondered where you kept buying them; I never see moulds like that in the store. And I guess now I know why."

Alice nodded, placing another white ball down in a line near her blue set.

"Exactly. Now, I doubt they'll let me carve these myself so you'll have to do it. Ready to learn how?"

Kanon smiled confidently.

"Of course I am!"

Erina heard the exuberant exclamation and idly noted that it had come from her cousin's station.

"Are you ready, Ko-kun?" she asked.

Ko took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

"Ready, Erina-sensei." he said.

"Remember what we practiced." she instructed. "Remember all of the dishes I had you make; remember each and every one, failures and all."

Ko's eyebrows furrowed as he thought back to the dozens on dozens of things he'd cooked at the blonde girl's instructions. It was the same thing, over and over. An exercise in repetition. Each time, she told him to start again at the slightest misstep he made in her recipe.

"Think back. Focus on my voice. Answer my questions. What were each and every one of those dishes, Ko-kun? Even the failed ones and the half-finished ones?" she said, her voice low and calm.

"Opportunities to learn." he responded automatically, almost trance like.

"To learn what?" she asked.

"About me. About the kind of chef I am and could be." he said.

"And did you learn?" she asked.

Ko didn't respond immediately. He took another deep breath as each and every foray into the kitchen began replaying itself in his head over and over. He thought and thought, each experience passing through his mind, flickering and varying in intensity. Each success and each failure being weighed and considered, stripped down and used as fodder for his creative instinct. He felt as if he could hear his Chef's Soul working and purring as he drew on it, each and every minute in the kitchen contributing in its own unique way to the person and cook that was Ko.

After what seemed like hours, but was actually only a few minutes, Ko opened his eyes and his shoulders straightened. He set his eyes on the kitchen before him and felt something deep inside him practically purr at the sight. This was where he was meant to be.

"Yes. I did. I learnt a lot." he said assertively.

Erina smirked, stepping back and leaning against the bar. She folded her arms.

"Good. Then show me."

The instructions were simple but, as she saw Ko begin to work, Erina couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in her chest. She was sure it was her imagination but she felt as if she could see the very change in Ko's aura as he began beating eggs in a bowl with a skill and speed that belied his age.

"Wow. Look at Ko-kun go." said Ai, staring over the counter in wonder at the boy working. "And Erina-sensei's just standing there."

Erina stood apart from him, not lifting a finger to assist. In fact, her eyes were closed. She wasn't even watching!

"That's Erina-chan for you. She's confident that Ko-kun will succeed." said Megumi, steering Ai towards the range.

"Are you confident that I'll succeed, Megumi-sensei?" asked Ai, beginning to prepare ingredients automatically even as she felt her insecurity start to assert itself.

"Of course. I'm doubly confident, actually." said Megumi, smiling brightly. Ai looked down, blushing as she continued cracking eggs.

"But you'll still be here to help me right? Even though you're so confident?" asked Ai shyly.

"Of course, Ai-chan." said Megumi. The blue haired chef was holding a large melon before her and had one eye closed, eyeing the fruit appraisingly with the other. "I'll be right here alongside you the whole way."

Ai smiled, looking down again. Of course she would. Megumi-sensei was always there when she needed her and she would be today!

"Alright then. Let's do this Megumi-sensei!" said Ai.

"Hai, Ai-senpai." said Megumi teasingly.

"S-s-senpai?!" exclaimed the young girl, blushing brightly.

"You're the head chef here, right? Own it, Ai-chan." she said, winking. "I'll be in your care today."

Ai blushed even brighter but she gulped and nodded.

"Right!"

" **Heh**."

The scoff attracted Ai's attention and the girl looked at the adjacent station where a tall, dark haired boy from her class was looking at her.

" **Weakling.** " he growled, looking over at her with half crazed eyes, his hair held in check by a blue bandanna with white flames emblazoned across it. Ai puffed her cheeks out, glaring at the boy.

"You shut up, Oro-kun!" she said, waving her spoon at him fiercely. The boy just grinned at her, pulling one eye lid down and sticking his tongue out at the girl before being thumped soundly on the head by his partner.

" **How many times do I have to tell you the kitchen is no place for that kiddy crap, Oro?!** " snarled Ryo. The boy rubbed his head, glaring at Ai, as if she'd caused his injury.

" **Sorry, Ryo-sensei.** " he said, turning back to the range. " **But some people should just give up when they've got no business being in the kitchen.** "

" **You're absolutely right. In fact, I thought the same thing about Tadokoro there.** " he said, jerking his thumb at the blue haired girl. The boy looked up at Ryo in surprise before looking back at Megumi.

" **But Megumi-sensei's one of the strongest chefs in your grade!** "

Ryo grinned savagely.

" **Exactly. Don't judge books by their cover, you little brat. Now back to work!** "

" **Sir, yes sir!** "

"You know, it's almost scary just how much they've rubbed off on their partners, don't you agree Somei-kun?" asked Tsukasa from where he sat on the side lines. He was holding his head in his hands, looking around at the prospective chefs.

"So many children…do you think they're going to grow up, come here and be just as troublesome as Sōma-kun's generation? That would be so terrible…" he moaned.

"What do you care, Tsukasa?" asked Saito flatly. "We're graduating in a few weeks, after all."

At that, Tsukasa perked up.

"You're right. A few more weeks and then I won't have to worry about the prospect of these little mini Jewels giving me grey hair at nineteen."

Saito didn't comment, well used to his fellow Council member's neuroses at this point. Tsukasa looked over at the security aide whose shoulder Saito had firmly in his grasp.

"Hideki-san, good day. I'm happy you could join us." he said, smiling beatifically.

"Tsukasa-san, surely you can't be ignorant to what's going on here." said Hideki tightly, gesturing at the tall student's grip on his shoulder.

Tsukasa looked questioningly at the man.

"And what would that be?" he asked honestly.

Hideki blinked.

"Surely you jest?" he said. "Do you not see the rather stern grip Saito-san has on my shoulder? Or the way he's standing so that I can't move anywhere without getting past him? What about this situation looks consensual to you?"

Tsukasa tilted his head, still staring at Hideki in confusion.

"What are you saying, Hideki-san?"

Hideki resisted the urge to sputter. He simply gritted his teeth and responded to the inane question with a terse summary of the impromptu hostage situation Saito had created. Tsukasa smiled, waving his hand.

"Oh, that. No worries, Hideki-san. I'm sure your security team will be returning soon. I doubt they'd go far. And as far as your concerns about the change in assignments, I wouldn't concern myself."

"Tsukasa-san." said Hideki lowly. "I know you, of all people, would know why those assignments were important."

"Oh, but of course." said Tsukasa, nodding. "It's why I called Azami-sama immediately once Momo-chan announced the change."

Hideki grunted as he felt Saito's grip tighten sharply on his shoulder. The swordsman was looking over at Tsukasa guardedly. His grey orbs met Tsukasa's white ones and the first seat smiled beatifically at the fifth seat.

"Well, of course. And I must say, Azami was very interested in just how off script Momo-chan went. It wasn't too surprising, really. She was never one for politics. But when I asked him if I should step in, he told me it wasn't necessary. He'd be coming himself to handle things."

At that, Tsukasa paused, looking at the clock on the wall. He frowned.

"In fact, now that you mention it, Azami-sama should've been here by now."

* * *

"What exactly is this, Saiba-senpai?" asked Azami.

Tōtsuki's headmaster stood in front of his personal town car. He was looking across at Joichiro, who was smiling cheekily at him from where he stood in the middle of the road. He had a bright yellow construction worker's hat on and had orange barriers placed across the road. Orange cones and signs advertising messages such as "Construction Ahead" and "Men at Work" were strewn about like driftwood, instructing cars to turn around.

Beyond them were several Polar Star students who were going at the road with pickaxes. Satoshi led them in song, the fundoshi and yellow construction hat being the only thing he wore. Hisako had a hard hat as well but, instead of a pickaxe, she held a clipboard, from which she was giving orders to a beleaguered Marui. The skinny, glasses wearing boy struggled under the weight of the large, black barrel he held in his arms.

"Sorry about this, Nakamura. Just some unscheduled maintenance. Got a few complaints, ya know? Potholes and the like. Nothing too crazy but it's gonna take some time to fix. About three hours or so, I'd say." he said.

"I see." said Azami placidly. "And may I ask why professionals weren't contacted for this particular project? Much as I appreciate their enthusiasm, Tōtsuki's not generally in the habit of contracting its students for something like that."

"No contract needed, Azami-sama!" shouted Daigo cheerily, his pickaxe constantly in motion.

"Yup. We're more than happy to volunteer, Azami-sama!" sang Shoji, his pickaxe moving and tearing at the road one bit at a time.

"Less chatter, more work!" yelled Hisako sternly.

"Yes Hishoko-sama!" shouted the two young men, before resuming their work with renewed vigour.

Joichiro held his hands spread, shrugging.

"Trust me, Nakamura. I'd prefer professionals as well. But who are we to deny the eager bounties of youth right? Students should contribute to their school, don't you think? Giving back and all that good stuff?"

Azami glanced around the impromptu work site, noting the condition of the road. It wasn't in any significant state of disrepair; his car would be able to cross with mild discomfort at best. But the issue was more the barriers in his way. Both the literal barriers and the implied human ones. He was no Eizan. He couldn't simply tear through them. It wouldn't do.

He looked up and noted the position of Tōtsuki in the distance. It was far. If he deigned to walk, by the time he arrived, the trial would be long over. It wasn't exactly surprising. Such a transparent diversion would be remiss if he could simply walk around it.

Azami found himself chuckling internally, just the slightest bit, as he recalled that it had been just last week that an administrator had suggested commissioning a second road that connected the highway to Tōtsuki. He'd dismissed the idea as an unnecessary expenditure, considering the road they did have was well connected with multiple lanes. There should be no need for a second road. Unless those opposed to you decided to block the first one off, of course.

"What exactly is your plan here, Saiba-senpai?" he asked mildly, pulling out his phone. He tapped out a brief text message before replacing the handheld device in his pocket.

"Like I said, Nakamura. Road maintenance. Giving back. Etcetera." said Joichiro. "Why don't you just relax in your fancy car for a while? Or better yet, head out on the town! Maybe grab some lunch or catch a movie, I always said you should relax more, ya know? Don't worry about a thing. I'll give you a call when we're done here. Promise."

Azami folded his arms, smiling hollowly at the man opposite him.

"No. It's a beautiful day. And you're right; Tōtsuki is a fine mistress. We who take part in her bounty could afford to give back with our own two hands every now and then."

Azami reached up and loosened his tie, slipping it over his head and handing it to Joichiro, who took it with some confusion. The tie was soon joined by a pair of black gloves and Azami's blazer. Joichiro watched with no small amount of shock as Azami loosened his sleeves, rolling them up.

He reached over and plucked the hardhat from Joichiro's head, placing it firmly on his own.

"It's a beautiful day for some manual labour, don't you think Saiba-senpai?" said Azami, strolling past him. "Let's get to work, children."

The students stared at Azami in shock. All but Satoshi, who stepped forward, holding out his own pickaxe. He smiled benignly at the headmaster.

"Always good to have an extra pair of hands."

Azami returned Satoshi's smile, taking the tool from him.

"My thanks, Isshiki-kun."

"Anytime, Nakamura-san."

Azami's pale hands tightened on the pickaxe at the address.

"I see you've been hanging around with Saiba-senpai a bit too long. Don't mind him; I've been a Nakiri for many years now."

"And he's been a Yukihira for years as well, right? I'm only following my illustrious headmaster's lead." said Satoshi. The sincerity in his voice was as genuine as it was out of place.

Azami didn't respond to the barb. He simply moved past the former seventh seat, stepping around him and past him before he raised his axe and brought it down, the tip biting deeply into the road. Hisako watched him work warily but, after a few moments of silence, she turned to face the others, who were still staring in amazement at the sight of Nakiri Azami swinging a pickaxe among them.

"Back to work, everyone. Nothing to see here." she said. She could practically taste the lie on her lips.

* * *

"It seems our first server has arrived." said Haru, smirking at the approaching pair from his position at the table. The large chair only made him seem even smaller, for all that he acted like an adult.

"Yea, yea." said Kida, still tapping away at his game. "I'll leave this one up to you guys."

"Lazy dummy." commented Mimi snidely. Kida ignored her, save for the eye roll he gave her.

"And what is your name, miss?" asked Haru courteously.

"Sadatsuka Nao." said the dark haired girl lowly. She was smiling at them from behind her unkempt, black hair and the single red eyed look she gave Haru made him want to lean back even further in his chair. Her partner seemed just as off put by her, although that fact didn't particularly comfort Haru.

"I…see." he said. "And what exactly have you prepared for us today?"

Nao took the covered plate from her partner's hands, placing it in front of him.

"Oh, I think you'll all be quite happy with what I've done." she said, giggling. "I've put every ounce of dark power I could into this dish; I'm sure it will impress."

Nao raised the cover to unveil several black sticks, arranged tastefully in the kanji for "witch", on the plate. They were drizzled in a dark, almost pitch black sauce.

Haru leaned forward, picking one up.

"Now what's this, Sadatsuka-san?" he asked.

"Pocky." she said gleefully. "Simple, ordinary…pocky."

The cackling she let out made it clear that they were meant to be anything but. Haru eyed the dark sauce on the stick he held with some interest. He sniffed at it but couldn't detect any noticeable smell. He shrugged before placing it into his mouth.

Instantly, his cheeks bulged out and he threw himself back, one hand held to his mouth. The sudden movement startled Mimi, who yelped and flinched away from him. Nao only smiled wider and kept staring as she watched Haru's eyes start to water.

"Well. What do you think?" asked Nao.

"It's…it's…"

Haru felt the taste sink its claws into his tongue in the worst way possible. It seized every single taste bud he had and sent it on a practically stomach turning thrill ride of taste.

"So bitter!" he said, blinking tears from his eyes. "But it's so good too…I don't understand…"

Haru shoved the remainder of the pocky stick in his mouth, chewing fiercely. This only served to make his eyes water more but he continued chewing. With each bite, he began to regain his composure and he pulled a monogrammed handkerchief from his pocket, wiping at his eyes.

By the time he'd finished, he'd completely regained the reserved air of calm he had. He coughed into his hand, shaking his head firmly.

"That was certainly something else. Such a strong, bitter flavour. It's like the blackest of black coffees, fresh from the fields. But it's so strong that it's also invigorating. How remarkable."

"It's dark chocolate. Emphasis on **dark**." said Nao, chuckling. "And the sauce is even darker yet. I was able to isolate the parts of the cocoa bean that gave dark chocolate its characteristic rich, bitter flavour and brought it to even darker depths. It's truly a work in culinary black magic. Some of my best, in fact."

Mimi picked up a stick of the pocky, eyeing it with some trepidation. She, too, sniffed at it before placing it in her mouth. The second it hit her tongue, she retched and placed the stick down.

"That's terrible! Who would even like that?" cried Mimi, wiping desperately at her tongue with her napkin.

Haru gave the girl a look of haughty disdain before looking back at Nao.

"My apologies, Sadatsuka-san. Children rarely appreciate the finer things in life, I must say."

Nao didn't seem fazed by Mimi's rejection; she simply nodded her head in response to Haru's statement before turning to face Kida, who hadn't looked up from his game.

"And you, Kida-kun?" she said. "Won't you try my dish? I promise it won't…bite…ku ku ku."

Kida didn't even deign the older girl with a glance.

"Yea. Pass." he said simply.

For the first time, Nao looked surprised.

"Pass? But…Kida-kun, I assure you. This dish is quite extraordinary. Do not let its appearance fool you." she said.

"Nah, I'm good." he said. "Thanks anyway though."

Nao looked nonplussed at the complete dismissal but Haru took it in stride.

"Well, alright then. Let the judging commence. Remember, my compatriots, we judge from one through to twenty. That being said Sadatsuka-san, what exactly will you give me in exchange for my favour?" he asked. "I mean, your dish is rather unique and thrilling in its own right, so it gets a ten there from me. But you'll have to buy the other ten, I'm afraid."

Now, Nao was beginning to look panicked. She looked between the three tempestuous children before settling on Haru. She gulped nervously, her dark demeanour fading as she realized just what she was up against.

"Um…"

Nao dug in her pockets desperately but the only thing she unearthed was a loose hairpin and a picture of a girl with short, purple hair that she quickly placed back in her pocket.

"What was that?" asked Haru, his sharp eyes catching the quick movement.

"Nothing, nothing Haru-kun. Just a picture." assured Nao, smiling weakly.

"Hmm…I see. And do you intend to curry favour with me with that bobby pin?" he asked, raising one eyebrow calmly. "I'm almost certain I'd have more use for the picture, whatever it may be."

Nao gulped, looking at him with frightened, red eyes. She simply shook her head. A few measly points were not worth the only picture she had of Hisako. It had been enough trouble getting this one; who knew how much trouble it would be to acquire another!

"I see." Said Haru simply, picking up the marker and whiteboard tablet that he'd been issued by Hideki. He wrote down something on to the tablet before looking at his fellow judges. Mimi was holding her tablet in her hands and Kida had his shoved haphazardly in the direction of his fellow judges.

"Well, everything seems in order. Shall we?" he asked, rotating his tablet to show Nao the score. "You get a ten from me, Sadatsuka-san. Full points for your dish but I'm afraid your hairpin was found lacking in value to me."

"Thirteen." said Mimi, showing her tablet. "Your dish tasted really bad. There's a reason kids don't like coffee, you know. Bitterness wasn't the way to go here and you lost sight of that. You're lucky Haru's obnoxious enough to play along. But your dish would also probably make Momo-nee pass out. So I give you some points for that."

Kida yawned, holding up two fingers.

"Two from me." he said. "And even that's only because you look pretty cool and creepy with your weird hair and eyes."

"Alright then. In total, that's a score of twenty five." said the nearby proctor, marking the clipboard she held. "Sadatsuka-san, you and your partner are free to leave or join the spectators on the side-lines."

Nao didn't move until her partner began tugging insistently at her sleeve. Even then, she walked away in what seemed to be a daze.

"I see they really weren't kidding." commented Takumi. He'd stepped away from his station for the moment to observe the judging process, wondering just how biased the judging would actually be. Nao's performance made it clear that it was just as bad as he'd expected.

"Yea. This is gonna be a rough one." said Subaru. The Perfect Tracer stood at Takumi's side, arms folded. He'd watched the judging just as keenly as Takumi had.

"You sound worried, Subaru-san." said Takumi, smiling cockily.

Subaru scoffed, turning to head back to his station. He continued speaking as he walked away.

"Please. My semifreddo will tear apart their childish predilections."

Takumi glanced sharply at Subaru's retreating back, the dish's name catching his attention.

"A semifreddo, you say…" said Takumi to himself. "Then this definitely will be interesting, Subaru-san."

The Italian walked back to his station, where his partner awaited him. He began speaking to the girl in low tones and she nodded, saluting him, before getting to work. The blonde looked over at Subaru's station, grinning competitively at the dreadlocked chef's distant form.

"I've waited a long time for this rematch, Subaru-san." said Takumi. "We'll see whose score is higher. Nina-chan, I'll began preparing the lemons!"

At Sōma's station, the two Yukihiras worked alongside one another, matching each other's motions and speed with an ease that spoke of long practice. Sōma prepared ingredients with lightning like efficiency but not a single sliver was wasted or prepared before it was needed. Kumi manoeuvred through the kitchen, her hands whirling. She seemed to be accomplishing tasks at speeds that should've been impossible for any one person, let alone someone her size.

Eggs broke and were swiftly separated; chocolate was placed into pans to be melted; butter was sliced and placed into the appropriate bowls at speeds so quick, the yellow chunks were still spinning around the rim of their containers as Kumi moved onto another stage of the dish.

"Woah, check that girl out." said a spectator in awe. "Hey, look at the girl helping out Central's Dog. She's ridiculous!"

"Holy cow; for real! I can't believe she's so fast, and she has to be only like ten at the most right? Cuz of the rules?" said another, watching her hands fly across the ingredients in wonder.

"She has to be some kind of prodigy. Some sort of specially prepared ace in the hole that Azami-sama called in to help out his premier enforcer." said a third student. "No way Yukihira was just that lucky."

Tsukasa listened to all of the gossip in silence from his position at the head of the crowd. He watched the two chefs work in perfect unison with each other, not a single movement out of place. They were harmony in motion; practically a single person that just happened to have two bodies.

"They really are impressive, don't you think Saito-kun?" asked Tsukasa. "Yukihira's really outdone himself once again. His prospects for next year's seats are looking better and better by the minute."

Saito didn't respond verbally to Tsukasa's statement. He was preoccupied with staring over at the shaded form of Mori Gentian. The boy was whistling, chopping at fruits with a calm ease. His knife technique was effective but simplistic. So mundane, it was almost noteworthy. His partner stood nearby, hesitantly stirring a small pot.

Something wasn't right but Saito couldn't place exactly why he felt so uneasy. It had started with the fact that the boy had gotten a perfect score on Saito's trial. He was the only one to receive such and the very fact that he did made Saito suspicious but he couldn't deny the quality of Genti's soup dish. By all rights, someone like him should've been a top competitor in his year but Saito knew he'd never so much as heard of the boy before meeting him that day.

He'd checked Tōtsuki's records and found that everything was in order. Genti was a mediocre student and chef that sat firmly in the average population of the Jewels generation. He'd attended Tōtsuki middle school for three years like the vast majority of his grade. He should've been fodder for the many trials the freshmen of Tōtsuki had faced but he'd always managed to squeak by, if just barely. And Saito wasn't sure why he was so concerned; it wasn't like he knew every freshmen that roamed Tōtsuki, especially someone so lowly placed. But still…his instincts had been nagging at him for days about the mystery that was Mori Gentian.

He was distracted by the approach of a pair for judging. He recognized the contestant approaching the table.

"Your name?" asked Haru, who seemed to have appointed himself spokesperson of the trio.

"Mito Ikumi." said the dark skinned girl. She held two covered platters in her hand while her partner held the third. They placed their plates in front of each judge, stepping back.

This time, Mimi took the initiative and uncovered her plate first. She gasped softly.

A small, triangular piece of cheesecake sat at the centre of the platter. It had soft white frosting on its surface and edges but the cut showed the inner layers of the dish. A single strip of red ran through the centre of the piece, neatly separating it into three layers. A strip of something was perched in the centre of the cake, sticking almost straight up.

Mimi reached forward, picking up the strip, gazing at it with some interest.

"What's this, Ikumi-san?" she asked.

"Cheesecake with Bacon." said Ikumi simply.

Mimi blinked. And then looked at the strip of material in her hand and realized that it indeed resembled bacon, albeit very overcooked bacon.

"You're aware this is a dessert challenge, not a breakfast challenge correct?" asked Mimi, deadpan. "I'm tempted to give you a twenty right here and now because I can only imagine how Momo-nee's head would explode at seeing bacon in a dessert."

"Just go ahead and try it. Trust me." said Ikumi with a small, confident smile.

Mimi shrugged, breaking a piece off of the stiff piece of meat. Using her other hand, she picked up the spoon, scooping up a piece of the cake and placing the little square of bacon in her hand atop it. She placed the spoon into her mouth.

The warm taste of brown sugar was the first thing she noted before the full, sweet savouriness of the cheesecake overtook her. Mimi closed her eyes, almost squealing as she felt the sweetness blend and meld with the still present and meaty taste of the bacon. It seemed to have a presence in the dish that one single strip couldn't account for.

"What's this…this greasiness, Ikumi-san?" asked Mimi. "And this…this sweet flavour!"

Mimi took up another spoonful, placing it in her mouth. Instantly the savoury taste of the cheesecake overwhelmed her once again and this time, she did squeal, almost hopping up and down in her seat in amazement.

"This is…so good!"

"It's candied bacon." said Ikumi, smiling proudly. "The bacon's been caramelized with brown sugar, giving it a sweet coating that would be hard to resist on its own but, for extra punch, the thinnest, sweetest part of the sugary bacon grease was saved and diluted before being added into the mixing bowl for the cheesecake, suffusing the entire dish with a meaty flavour while never straying from its strong, sweet confection based roots."

Mimi had finished her entire piece by the end of Ikumi's statement. Haru had followed her lead and was wiping his mouth, hiding a pleased smile. Kida had taken one spoonful from his but was in the process of finishing it; his gaming console put to the side

"I must say I'm impressed, Ikumi-san." said Haru. He held up his tablet, where a bold seventeen was written.

Mimi held hers up, revealing a score of eighteen. She looked over and frowned, kicking Kida, who was still in the process of finishing his piece. Kida looked up, cheeks bulging.

"Chevenyeen." he said around the cheesecake filling his mouth.

"Ew! Chew your food first, dummy!" shouted Mimi, kicking him again. Kida didn't seem fazed by the physical violence but he did swallow before repeating himself.

"Seventeen. This cake kicks ass. Good job Chichi-san."

"Thank you, Kida-kun. I—"

Ikumi halted as she processed just what the scruffy boy had said. She looked down at the star spangled bikini top she wore, her standard cooking attire, before looking back up at the boy with fire in her eyes.

"What did you call me brat?!" she snapped, glaring at him. Kida ignored her, having gone back to playing his game. "Hey, don't you dare ignore me, you little perv!"

"Come on, Ikumi-sensei!" whined her partner, pulling at her elbow. "We got a really good score; don't mess this up for us."

Ikumi continued glaring at Kida but she allowed herself to be led away.

"How can you say that, Shika-kun? Did you hear what he called me?!" she shouted angrily.

"Not like it isn't true." mumbled Shika quietly, his cheeks red. He'd not been quiet enough however.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY TO ME?!"

This time it was Shika being led away as Ikumi kept a firm grip on the back of his shirt as they marched towards the spectator area. She was loudly berating him, punctuating each sentence with a violent shaking that rattled the boy's head.

"She certainly is spirited. They must have gotten a good score." said Megumi, watching the two stroll past her as she pushed the small cart towards the judging table. "I wonder what has her so angry though?"

"Maybe Shika-kun finally gave her that compliment he wanted to give her." said Ai thoughtfully from where she stood at Megumi's side.

"What compliment?" asked Megumi curiously. Ai shrugged.

"I dunno. I just heard him whispering about it with Ko and Li. They were telling him that, even if he said it really nicely, it would probably make Ikumi-sensei REALLY mad."

"Huh." said Megumi thoughtfully. "That's strange. Compliments don't generally work that way."

Mentally dismissing the oddity, the port town chef stopped her cart in front of the judges table where Ai began serving the plates to the judges.

"Would you do us the pleasure of introducing yourself?" asked Haru politely. Megumi bowed in response.

"Tadokoro Megumi. I hope you enjoy what Ai-chan and I have prepared for you." she said.

Haru uncovered the plate, looking down in interest.

"Ah, a pastry. Interesting." he said. "I must say it appears to be rather…straightforward."

Megumi's dish did seem rather unassuming. It was a yellow, round pastry. About the size of someone's palm. It had a light dusting of confectionary sugar across the top as its sole adornment. There wasn't any frosting; it was clearly the inside of the pastry that would hold its flavour. Haru wondered at the mystery that was the invisible center; he was sure there was more to this simple cake than meets the eye.

"Ah, before you continue. Would you like some tea?" asked Megumi, smiling. "The cake is best served as an accompaniment."

Haru blinked in surprise at the consideration but he nodded. Megumi reached to the bottom of the cart, bringing up the kettle that sat there. Ai had already placed a cup in position in front of Haru and Megumi began to pour.

Haru looked her over with appreciation, noting her impeccable posture and the positioning of her hands.

"My word, Megumi-san. Your tea pouring form…it's impeccable! Who trained you?"

Megumi finished pouring the cup and stood up, replacing the cap on the kettle. She waved away Haru's praise, blushing lightly.

"Oh, thank you Haru-kun but you don't need to flatter me. It's just something I picked up from serving customers in my family's ryokan. It's no big deal, really."

Haru disagreed but he didn't protest any further. He picked up the small yellow pastry, feeling the way it almost crumbled in his fingers, its warmth and freshness apparent. He took a sniff of the light steam rising from it, the scent carrying with it a whiff of something he recognized. Something familiar and…warm. Haru raised it to his mouth and bit down.

Haru blinked and found himself in someone's arms. He was small; so very small. The arms he was in felt like the arms of a giant. He felt himself rocking from side to side slowly and he could smell them. Smell their scent. A scent that he felt like he should've recognized. It was the scent of lavender and fresh fruit. But even more than the scent, it was the feelings in his chest that had him taken aback. He felt safe. Warm. Loved.

 _Mama…_

Haru blinked again and found himself back in his seat. He held in his hand nothing but crumbs. His tea cup was empty and he could still feel his tongue tingling from its heat. He looked at his fellow judges to find that they were staring at him, their tablets held out to show their scores. Similarly empty dishes sat in front of them. When had they had the time…?

Haru reached out with shaking hands, picking up his marker. He attempted to write but found his normally steady hand was shaking too much.

"Twenty, Megumi-san. You get a twenty." he said, wondering if they noticed the catch in his voice. How long…how long had it been since his mother had held him like that? It had been years now. He couldn't even remember. In fact, it was so long ago that he shouldn't have been able to remember.

Haru got to his feet abruptly.

"Excuse me for a moment. I'll be back shortly." he said rapidly, not addressing any of the confused looks he received as he walked away at a fast clip, exiting the room.

Mimi blinked, wondering just what could've startled the rich kid so. She turned to the clipboard wielding woman at the right of the judges table.

"Well, um…examiner-san?"

The suited woman nodded and made a notation on her clipboard.

"With Haru-kun's twenty, Mimi-chan's eighteen and Kida-kun's seventeen, that gives you a net score of fifty five, Megumi-san. The highest we've had yet. Congratulations."

Megumi smiled excitedly.

"Thank you so much, examiner-san!"

She turned to Ai, who was smiling brightly up at her. She took the little girl's hands, barely resisting the urge to pick the girl up and swing her around.

"We did it Megumi-sensei!" shouted Ai happily, jumping up and down. Megumi's smile grew even wider.

"We certainly did, Ai-chan. Thank you so much for taking care of me."

Ai blushed at the praise, looking away from Megumi's beaming face.

"I-It was nothing." the shy girl said. "Let's go find some good seats, Megumi-sensei. We have a whole bunch to save."

"You're right, Ai-chan. Let's go." said Megumi, heading towards the side lines, where several rows of chairs had been set up to facilitate the spectacle that was an Elite Ten Section trial. Megumi looked over the seats considerately before her eyes landed on a particular clear row, next to someone she recognized.

"Ohayo, Tsukasa-senpai." she said, walking over.

Tsukasa looked up from the papers he held in his hand, giving Megumi a somewhat awkward smile.

"Hello there…um…Takano-chan?"

Megumi blanched at the blatant fumbling of her name.

"It's…ah…Tadokoro actually."

"Oh, right. My apologies, Tadokoro-chan." he said. "Can I help you?"

"Well, I was just wondering if the seats around you were free. We were hoping to save a few." she explained.

"Ah, I see. Well, I do seem to have an abundance of empty seating. Most of our fellow students seem a bit shy." he said, waving his arm around to gesture at the empty seats. He didn't notice the way that entire side of the crowd flinched in response to the movement.

"Well, I'm sure they're just trying to be respectful." said Megumi, settling into the seat next to Tsukasa. "You're the first seat of the Elite Ten, after all."

"Not for long." said Tsukasa, smiling softly. "That's what we're all here for, after all, right?"

"Well yes, but still…" said Megumi. "We'll probably always look up to you, Tsukasa-senpai, even after you graduate."

"Even though I'm part of the very organization you and your friends are trying to dethrone?" he asked lightly. The atmosphere changed as the kindness faded from his face. He gave Megumi a level stare that was suited to the man they called the White Knight of the Table. "I'm a part of Central, Tadokoro-chan. I am an embodiment of everything you and your friends are fighting against. And you would still sit here and claim that you look up to me?"

Tsukasa's delivery was calm and stern, with none of the first seat's usual affability. It was a tone that he rarely employed and all the more intimidating as a result.

Megumi's eyes were hidden by her blue bangs. Ai was shivering, trying to hide as much of herself behind Megumi as she could, away from the cold, white eyed stare that Tsukasa was giving them both. Tsukasa didn't speak further; he simply kept staring at Megumi. He noted that she was trembling and he idly wondered if he'd frightened her to the point of speechlessness.

"I'm telling the truth, Tsukasa-senpai."

Megumi's voice was strong. She clenched her fists and looked up, meeting his eyes. There was fear in her gaze but it was overpowered by the sheer determination in it. Her yellow eyes practically shone as she looked back at him.

"We do respect you. We look up to you. That hasn't changed just because we're standing on opposite sides. You're still an amazing chef. A lot more amazing than I'll ever be, probably."

Megumi placed her hand over her heart, her tone sincere for all that it was firm.

"We'll fight you to the end, just the same, because as long as you stand with Azami, you are our enemy. That fact will not change. But I also doubt any of us would ever stop respecting you as our senior, Tsukasa-senpai."

Tsukasa's expression didn't change in response to Megumi's words. He continued looking at the girl with calm, pale eyes. He lightly clucked his tongue before turning away from her, breaking the impromptu stare down.

"I see. You certainly sound honest. Alright then."

And with that, the tension left as suddenly as it had come. Tsukasa turned away from Megumi.

"That's great to hear, Tadokoro-chan. Enjoy the show."

And with those words, Tsukasa became reabsorbed in watching the cooking floor. Megumi wondered if she should say more but the brief burst of confidence she'd experienced left her and she couldn't bring herself to speak more. So she simply settled for alternating between speaking with Ai in quiet tones and watching the remaining chefs cook alongside the young girl and the Central aligned first seat.

* * *

 **A/N: Well. Another mega-chapter. It's almost like I'm trying to make up for something. Like a super long absence or something. O.o**

 **Ok, so the plan was for Momo's trial to conclude in this particular chapter but, as you can see, that didn't happen. Saito's challenge was a lot more streamlined; he was a fairly silent judge and that reflected in the pacing of his challenge. Also the students in question were working within fairly stringent guidelines ingredient-wise, so it would've been boring to go through everyone's dish.**

 **But here we have a lot going on. Three unique OC judges I created just for the occasion, in what has turned out to be a somewhat miniature echo of the Autumn Elections. I should've known what I was getting into but alas, I didn't T_T.**

 **Oh well, hopefully you guys liked it! Next chapter will see the conclusion of Momo's challenge, along with a few more juicy tidbits. See you then!**

 **P.S I checked the reviews in the fandom and I gotta say, props to my fellow authors Laury Rose and Zancrow for their fics' progress! I'm surprised I only fell to third after a year away but the gap between third and second/first is huge! That being said, I'm determined to take my spot at the top back. I'm coming for you two! :)**

Genti - Preppy (Creamy Fruit Salad, instant pineapple juice and vanilla pudding, crops from her garden, meant so P. can't mess it up)

Erina - Ko (Molten chocolate lava cake, straightforward, executed perfectly)

Megumi - Ai (Pineapple cake, Chinese, winter melon, served with tea)

Alice - Kanon (Cake balls, ribbon, mini faces, individuality!)

Sōma - Kumi (Souffle, chocolate with vanilla-white chocolate- streaks)

Takumi - Nina (Semifreddo, 1st, improved 7 layer, walnuts, tangy ice cream, lemon curd, genoise, coconut curd, whipped cream frosting, macademia nuts)

Subaru - Li (Semifreddo, 2nd, single layer, coffee, impactful, made up of toblerone, cream, caster sugar, brandy sub. = melted hard candy of several dark flavors )

Ikumi - Shika (cheesecake, candy bacon garnish [brown sugar], candy bacon grease in cheesecake!)


	26. Chapter 25

Azami grunted, swinging his pickaxe down with finality, its point sticking into the asphalt beneath him. He stepped back, wiping the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. He raised his other hand and, within seconds, a cool bottle of water found itself placed in his palm.

"My thanks, Arato-kun." said Azami to Hisako.

The purple haired girl pursed her lips tightly, simply nodding in response and turning to direct Daigo and Marui as they struggled to distribute and spread the asphalt mixture along the portion of the road they'd managed to clear.

Azami checked his watch, noting the time. The trial would be just about halfway by now. A detail that didn't overly concern him; when Tsukasa had called him, he'd been deep within downtown Tokyo. The time it would've taken him to get back meant he wouldn't be able to get there in time to alter the proceedings anyway. And he wasn't even sure that he would have wanted to.

His faith in Central's doctrine was absolute; it would prove itself superior in time. And it would only be better for him in the long run if he allowed those who would stand against him to protest and struggle. They would be that much more crushed when he succeeded regardless of their petty rebellion.

A phone began to ring.

Azami glanced up at Joichiro, who paused in his own digging to fish his phone out of his pocket. He looked at the screen and paused, tilting his head at the phone in question. He looked around furtively before his eyes landed on Azami's. For a brief second, Azami could've sworn he saw something like concern in his senpai's eyes before Joichiro grinned, waving the phone at him.

"I'll be right back, Nakamura. Gotta take this. Keep an eye on the kids for me, huh?"

Joichiro stepped away, off the side of the road and into the trees. He kept walking, surreptitiously glancing back until he couldn't even glimpse Azami's tall, dark form through the trees. He put the phone to his ear, struggling to keep his tone steady as he fell back against a tree trunk, sinking to the floor.

"What do you mean she's gone?" he said.

"I mean just that, Joichiro-kun! She said she was going to spend the day at Aiko-chan's but I called Aiko's parents to check in and they said they hadn't heard anything about it! Aiko was at home by herself, watching TV. She has no idea where Kumi is; she hasn't heard from her since yesterday! And every time I call her cell phone, it gives me a busy signal!"

The voice on the phone was filled with maternal worry and concern.

"Alright, alright. Calm down. When's the last time you saw Kumi?" asked Joichiro, looking around and confirming he was still by himself. He didn't need anyone overhearing this particular conversation.

"This morning, at around 9. I sent her off with a bento and her knapsack. I called Aiko's parents at 2:30 and I've been searching frantically ever since!" she said.

Joichiro looked at his watch and noted the time. 3:30. His daughter's been missing for over six hours. Joichiro felt the plastic casing on his phone crinkle as his hand clenched it.

"Did she leave a note?" he asked, mind whirring as he filtered uselessly through the last six hours in his head. He knew for a fact that he hadn't heard from his daughter but that didn't stop him from thinking back and meticulously reviewing every single scrap of information his perfect recall had picked up.

"No! Nothing! I've searched her room three separate times now. There's nothing there." she said and Joichiro could hear that she was about to cry; Joichiro wasn't far off from that himself, though he didn't show it; Kumi was their world.

"Alright. Calm down. You said she had her knapsack right? What did she take?" he asked, working with what little information he could. Kumi clearly hadn't been abducted or anything of the like; she'd fabricated her plans with Aiko so this little outing was her idea. Joichiro ignored the dark thought that it was more than possible that it could've started that way but then taken a turn for the worse.

"I…I'm not sure…" she said hesitantly. Joichiro heard scuffling on the phone and waited, silent.

"Most of her things are still here. She took her phone and her wallet but everything else is still here. All of her school uniforms and most of her other clothes are right where they're supposed to be. The only things missing are the jeans and T-shirt she was wearing this morning and…"

The woman on the phone trailed off.

"Her chef's uniform."

Joichiro's breath hitched as his mind connected the dots. Kumi was aware of what was happening at Tōtsuki; the power struggle that her brother was going through and the results he was seeking. She wasn't happy about it and had made that clear to all of them, several times. She knew today was the trial for the Elite Ten, specifically the trial in which Sōma would need a partner. A young partner. And Kumi had always hated the thought of sharing her big brother. No "child" would be good enough to assist her brother on the culinary battlefield. She'd begged to be allowed to come and assist him; she'd pleaded for days but had been unanimously denied at every turn by both of her parents. It was too risky.

He should've known something was wrong when she stopped complaining. Yukihira Kumi never gave up; it was a trait she shared with the rest of her family.

"Joichiro-kun. Tell me…tell me what I'm thinking is wrong."

The despair in the woman's voice was audible and Joichiro felt his heart begin to thud audibly in his chest as the implications settled onto him.

"I have to go." was all he said, hoping his voice didn't sound as shaky as he felt.

"Find our daughter, Joichiro-kun. _Please_."

The desperation in her voice only made Joichiro's heart race even faster.

"Of course I will." he responded, hanging up the phone.

He took a deep breath, slapping himself firmly on the cheeks as he tried to compose himself. Once he felt sufficiently put together, he sauntered out from the treeline.

"Well kids, something's come up. I…"

Whatever Joichiro was about to say was lost as he saw Azami sitting astride a motorcycle. It sat past the ruined part of the road; it had clearly had no difficulty navigating the potholes and fissures that married its surface. After all, they'd been engineered to stop cars, not something as small and manoeuvrable as a bike.

Azami was slipping on his gloves, a helmet fixed on his head. He still only wore the white dress shirt he wore before; its sleeves still rolled up and exposing his pale limbs to the sun.

"I'm sorry to leave before completing our volunteer work, Saiba-senpai." said Azami, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet on his head. "It appears my ride has arrived and I do have things to attend to at my school that take priority, sadly."

His tone made it clear that it wasn't sad in the least.

"I wish you and the students the best of luck with completing this task. Their passion is admirable." he said.

Azami started the bike, the engine flaring to life with a loud roar. Gunning it once or twice to gauge the throttle, Azami shifted into gear and took off, disappearing swiftly into the distance with the loudness that was a penchant of almost all motorcycles. Joichiro watched him disappear into the distance and fought to keep the concern from showing on his face.

"Wow. Azami-sama was kinda cool there." said Daigo.

"Yea, I had no idea he knew how to ride a motorcycle." said Shoji.

"Nakamura's full of surprises." was all Joichiro could manage to say, before turning and heading towards where he'd parked the car they'd arrived in further up the road, past the damage they'd inflicted. "Let's go kids. This little field trip is over."

"But…Joichiro-senpai, the road…" said Marui, looking out at the torn up thoroughfare. "Shouldn't we fix it?"

"I've got bigger problems right now, Marui-kun. Come along now or walk home. It's your choice." said Joichiro sharply. He continued walking, not breaking stride. The students looked after him, surprised. They'd never heard the older man be anything other than pleasant and good humoured; the stern barking tone was one they'd associate more with Fumio than Sōma's father.

"That goes for all of you, by the way." he added when he noticed no one had begun moving. He ignored the scramble his words provoked, his mind occupied with thoughts of his children. He'd delayed Azami as long as he could; not as long as he'd hoped but hopefully it had been enough. Even Azami wouldn't be able to alter the outcome of the Elite Ten trials when they were all but done, he was sure of that, but he was less sure of what exactly Sōma would do if his path crossed with Azami's. Especially if Kumi was with him.

XXXXXXXXX

"This cake…it's so delightful. The outside is firm and springy but almost immediately, your fork breaks through to its liquid chocolate center!" said Haru appreciatively, cheeks bulging childishly as he continued to scoop up the dessert into his mouth.

The refined boy had re-entered the room after several minutes of being absent. His demeanour was much the same but he seemed to have random bouts of childishness he simply hadn't exhibited before tasting Megumi's dish.

"It's just so balanced." marvelled Mimi. "A chocolate lava cake isn't exactly a complex dish and the chef knew that; he stuck to its roots and the simple flavours of the disk flourished under his care. He brought out each and every ingredient to its maximum potential!"

Kida didn't add anything to the critique. He was playing his video game but he'd also fully polished off his lava cake faster than his fellow judges.

Haru placed his fork down, dabbing delicately at his mouth with a monogrammed handkerchief. Placing it down, he smiled at the Tōtsuki student before him.

"I also must say it's also a pleasure to finally meet the God's Tongue herself. I'd heard stories about you but never had the opportunity of making your acquaintance, my lady."

Erina smiled, dipping her head in response.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Haru-kun. I must thank you for all that your family has done for Tōtsuki over the years." she said.

"No thanks needed, Erina-sama." said the boy. He held up his tablet, showing a score of nineteen. "You did amazingly, as expected."

"This was all Ko-kun. I barely had a part to play here." said Erina, smiling down at her student.

Mimi held up her tablet, where she also had a score of twenty displayed. Kida held up his own, displaying a bold score of seventeen.

"Alright, Erina-sama. That brings your score up to a total of fifty six, giving you the highest score that we've seen among the entrants so far." said the examiner, making a note on her clipboard. "Feel free to depart or join the spectators to the side."

"Thank you, examiner-san." said Erina, bowing politely. "Let's go Ko-kun."

"Alright, Erina-sensei!"

As they made their way over to the stands, Erina noted the large gap in seating that surrounded her girlfriend. The only other people within ten seats of her were her partner and Tsukasa Eishi. Confidently walking forward, Erina took a seat next to Megumi, smiling at her.

"How'd you and Ai-chan do, Megumi-chan?" she asked, taking the blue haired girl's hand in her own.

"We did very well. We got a score of fifty five." said Megumi, squeezing Erina's hand warmly in response. "I was really proud of Ai-chan's work today; she did amazingly."

"Megumi-sensei…" whined Ai, blushing at the praise.

"Well, we got a fifty six!" said Ko, sticking his chest out proudly.

"That's amazing, Ko-kun!" said Megumi, clapping once in appreciation. "You've certainly come a long way, haven't you?"

"It's all thanks to Erina-sensei's teaching; she pushes me to be the best chef I can be." he said, looking at his partner out of the corner of his eye. Erina simply smiled, silently acknowledging the boy's compliment.

Across from the spectator's stands, another set of chefs were getting ready to present their dishes to the judges.

"No, after you Takumi-kun."

"No, I simply must insist. After you, Subaru-san."

Unfortunately, they were having trouble deciding which chef should go first.

The two students each held three plates, balanced effortlessly on their arms. The tension in their shoulders belied the smiles they had on their faces.

"I'm afraid I couldn't, Takumi-kun." said Subaru apologetically. "It's only right that I allow you to go first. My father raised me to be polite."

"As did mine." said Takumi, smiling even wider to the point where his cheeks began to ache. "I will have you know that courtesy among Italians is paramount. It's my duty to allow you the first shot here."

"Be that as it may, I simply can't-"

"ENOUGH!"

Both chefs paused, taken aback by the loud exclamation. Mimi had stood from her chair and was huffing in barely restrained frustration. She pointed a finger at Takumi decisively.

"You! Blondie! You're up first! Get up here right now or I swear I'll give your dish a one without so much as looking at it!"

Takumi regained his composure quickly, promptly stepping forward to acquiesce to the young girl's demands. He placed the covered plates before each judge, before placing his right hand upon Mimi's and unveiling it with a flourish and a smile.

"Behold." he said, gesturing to the pastry before him. Its bold, rectangular shape was contrasted by the light, circular slices of lemon garnish strewn atop it. It was split into several levels; each a distinct color, height and texture, though they all complimented each other as well. The end result was a tall, multi-layered pastry with iridescent stripes of bold colouring. It almost resembled a work of art more than it did a piece of food.

Mimi leaned forward, pointing and counting under her breath.

"Seven. This cake has seven layers to it?" she asked, curious despite her previous annoyance.

"Indeed. It's an improvement on one of my previous dishes; this is a semifreddo like no other." said Takumi, glancing back at where Subaru stood. "It consists of seven layers. The central layer is a genoise; a classic Italian sponge cake."

Mimi used her spoon to scoop up a portion of the cake's upper layers. She placed it into her mouth, humming appreciatively as she chewed.

"I taste walnuts, lemons, sugar and…ice cream? Is that an ice cream layer?" she asked curiously, poking at the dessert in interest.

"That's right. The top layer of the semifreddo consists of a walnut praline, followed by a layer of tangy ice cream and a layer of lemon curd. It provides a somewhat sharp taste to the top of the dessert, to further compliment the sweetness of the bottom layers."

Haru was chewing at his own piece; he'd taken a portion from the semifreddo's bottom half instead.

"I believe I can guess what these layers are…coconut, whipped cream and…macadamia nuts?"

"Right again." said Takumi, smirking at the look of wonder on Haru's face as he went for another spoonful. "It's a sweet mirror of the top of my semifreddo; a coconut curd layer, a whipped cream frosting layer and a floor consisting of a thick, macadamia praline."

"I'm astonished, Takumi-san." said Haru, dabbing at his mouth with a cloth. "This is such a carefully constructed dish; I can clearly see the level of thought and care you put into its conception."

Haru held up his tablet, showing a score of thirteen. Takumi heard a gasp behind him but his expression remained steady.

"The execution, on the other hand, left much to be desired. A reasonable effort, to be certain, but there were clear gaps." Said Haru, shaking his head.

"Yea. Not very impressive, honestly. Like it was definitely okay but…"

Mimi shrugged and held up her tablet, revealing a score of fourteen.

Kida held up an open palm. At Mimi's (literal) prodding, he explained he meant he was giving Takumi a five. His plate had hardly been touched.

Takumi's smile didn't falter at the revealed scores.

"That gives you a combined score of thirty two, Takumi-san." said the examiner, making a notation on her clipboard. "Please exit the cooking floor."

He nodded and bowed politely to the judges, walking to where Nina waited near the edge of the judging area. She had a panicked expression on her face and was already mid-sentence by the time Takumi got in range of her.

"-rry. So sorry, Takumi-sensei! This is all my fault. I messed up the lemon curd layer, I know. My ratio of ingredients was completely off, I know. I can't believe they graded you so low. I'm really, really-"

Takumi placed his hand on her shoulder firmly, cutting off her protests.

"Nina-chan, it's fine. These things happen." said Takumi, smiling gently. "I know you tried your best."

"Y-yea." she said, looking down. "I'm sorry. It's just…I got so nervous you know? All these people and the lights and everything…"

"No worries, Nina-chan. I'm serious. You'll do better next time." said Takumi honestly. "Besides, now I have an excuse to do even better in the following rounds."

Takumi smiled confidently, glancing back at where Subaru had stepped forward to present his dish. The glance he caught in return showed him that Subaru was just as aware of his presence.

Subaru stepped forward, placing his plates in front of each judge. He unveiled his for Mimi, much as Takumi had.

"I present to you a true semifreddo, crafted by Li-kun's skilful hands!"

The cake revealed resembled Takumi's in shape and shape alone. The rectangular pastry sat much lower on the plate than Takumi's 7 layer semifreddo and it was one consistent colour; a rich, dark brown. White, flaky shavings dusting its surface were the only parts of the dish that contrasted against its primary colouring.

"The Single Layer Semifreddo." he said triumphantly.

Haru took up a spoonful, eyeing the dessert considerately. It seemed straightforward enough; mousse like in its texture. He found it was anything but when he placed it in his mouth.

"My goodness…the flavour profile of this semifreddo." he said in amazement, taking another bite and smiling as it hit his tongue. "There's just…so much to it! On the surface, it appears to be one straightforward layer but you've cleverly hidden the layers inside the cake itself!"

"Toblerone, dark chocolate, coffee, cinnamon…there's just so much in here." said Mimi, surprised at seeing half of her dessert gone. She barely remembered consuming it, that's how fast she'd gotten through it. "The flavours are chaotic but…somehow, that isn't a bad thing here. Very, very good. You get an eighteen from me, Dreadlock-san."

"I'm impressed but clearly not as impressed as my colleague here. Still, great work." said Haru, holding up his tablet, presenting the chef with a bold sixteen.

"It was ok, I guess." said Kida, licking a smear of chocolate from his index finger. "Fourteen."

"Fourteen, eighteen and sixteen. That gives you a score of 48, Subaru-san." said the examiner.

"My thanks to you, judges." said Subaru, bowing lightly.

He immediately started striding over to where Takumi stood. The blonde chef watched him approach stoically. Subaru came to a stop a few feet away from Takumi, folding his arms in a mirror to the Italian chef. They locked eyes. Nina looked back and forth between them in worry.

After several tense seconds, Subaru spoke first.

"A bold choice, Takumi-kun. I can only imagine how you would've done if you'd been head chef on this dish."

"I won't have you slandering my partner, even indirectly. She did well." said Takumi. "You, on the other hand…a single layer semifreddo? How simplistic of you. I expected better."

"Semifreddos are more than about seeing how many layers you can stack before it tips over." said Subaru, smirking.

Takumi smirked back.

"You lecture me, a native Italian and resident chef of one of the best trattorias in Italy on semifreddo? Your arrogance hasn't changed."

As the two walked to the stands, side by side, their bickering continued, devoid of any real heat. Nina walked slightly behind them at Li's side, looking between the two older boys in confusion.

"I don't understand…are they fighting or are they friends?" she asked Li.

Li shrugged.

"I don't know. I think our partners are just both weirdos." he said.

Nina's cheeks bulged and she glared at the other boy.

"Your partner is a super creepy weirdo. There's nothing wrong with Takumi-sensei!"

"How dare you call Subaru-sensei creepy?" asked Li, narrowing his eyes. "At least mine doesn't spend more time on his hair than in the kitchen."

As the two of them descended into their own squabble, they didn't realize just how eerily they were mirroring their senseis. Someone else did though.

As the bickering quartet passed him, Genti spared them a glance and laughed to himself.

"Ah, look at that. Such spirit! They really bonded. Kinda like us, right Preppy?"

Genti looked over his shoulder to where his partner was pushing the cart containing their dish. The young girl flinched in response, lowering her head.

"Of course, Genti-senpai." she replied meekly. Genti laughed, stepping back and slapping her on her back, eliciting a squeak.

"Lighten up Preppy, I don't bite. Besides, we're almost done. Then you can go back to doing whatever it is you were doing before you got dragged all the way up here."

"Yes, Genti-senpai." she responded quietly.

As they reached the judges' table, she moved forward without prompting, presenting each judge with a small bowl. She took several steps back, bowing to Genti as she did so.

"Greetings. What's your name?" asked Haru, looking curiously at the large bowl Genti held in his hands.

"Mori Gentian." the shaded boy responded.

"And what do you have for us today, Gentian-san?" he inquired.

"Fruit salad." he said.

Haru quirked an eyebrow and Mimi guffawed loudly, ending it with an unladylike snort.

"Fruit salad? Here? I might give you a twenty on the spot because I'm sure it would make Momo-nee's head explode." said the girl, chuckling.

"Very well then." said Haru, leaning back in his chair. "Let's see it."

Haru grimaced internally. He hated fruits. Barring strawberries, there wasn't a single fruit he could eat without forceful prompting from his father. There was simply no way a fruit salad could get anything other than a one from him, he was all but certain.

Genti stepped forward, ladling the contents of his bowl into each bowl. Mimi eyed the creamy yellow mixture in confusion.

"This doesn't look like any fruit salad I've ever seen." she said.

"It's something a little different than your typical fruit salad, I'll admit." said Genti, smiling. "Hope you all like it."

Mimi shrugged, picking up her spoon. She dipped it into the mixture, eyeing the large, diced chunks of fruit she could see. She recognized apples, bananas and pineapples but couldn't identify anything else. She brought the utensil up and closed her mouth over it.

She blinked and found herself in a field. She looked around, confused. She tried to step forward but found she couldn't. Looking down, she saw that her feet were entangled with vines. Vines that continued to grow and wrap themselves around her. Before her eyes, fruit started sprouting on the vines. Watermelons, lemons, mangos, pineapples, oranges, bananas…these and more grew on the vine, surrounding her in a menagerie of fruits that had no purpose being found together in the same country, let alone on one single winding vine.

She felt more than heard words being whispered into her ear.

 _Welcome to my garden, little flower. Enjoy its taste._

Suddenly, Mimi found herself back in her seat at the judges' table. Her bowl was completely empty and she felt warm stickiness slathered across her face; she recognized it as the feeling of something sugary being splatted across her cheeks. She didn't even know how that had happened.

"Now please make your way off of the cooking floor, Gentian-san."

The examiner's words jarred Mimi from her confusion. Mostly, anyway.

"But…don't we have to judge him?" she asked, looking over at Haru to confirm. She found the refined boy holding his bowl to his face, frantically licking at it. His eyes were locked onto the empty dish and there were several yellow stains across his cheeks and across his white gloves. Mimi touched her own cheeks, wondering if she looked half as dishevelled.

She turned to inquire about Kida but she found him curled up in his chair, his handheld off and to the side. His thumb was in his mouth and he was staring after Genti, eyes wide.

"Kida-kun…" started Mimi.

"I want more. So much more." he said. His head rotated with a snap and he stared deeply into Mimi's eyes. "Did you finish yours?"

"Ah…yea, I did." said Mimi, almost flinching away from the crazed look in his eyes and, for once, mentally thanking her older sister for subjecting her to so much confectionary tasting over the years. She could only imagine how much worse off she would've been if not for her resistance if this was what the dish had done to someone as dispassionate as Kida.

"That was crazy. A fruit salad did this. And one prepared by his partner." said Mimi, looking over at the door where Genti had exited the building. Mimi couldn't help the cold shiver that ran down her spine. She could still feel the deliciousness on her tongue and, odd as it sounded, that frightened her.

"Ah, excuse me. Mimi-chan?"

Mimi looked forward in response to the voice; a white haired girl stood in front of their table. Three platters were balanced effortlessly on her left arm.

"I wanted to be judged." said Alice simply, smiling at her.

Mimi blinked, dazed before realizing just what was happening. She shook herself, slapping her cheeks.

"Right, right. One second!" she said, looking over at Haru and then at Kida. With a grunt of effort, she reached over and shoved both boys out of their chairs, sending them to the floor. The sudden movement, along with the impact, brought them both to their senses.

Haru took his chair, coughing lightly into his hand in an attempt to regain his composure. The sticky sweetness on his cheeks didn't help at all but he was remarkably more composed by the time he looked at Alice.

"Greetings, Alice-san. It's a pleasure to meet you, as well. The Heaven sent Child of Molecular Gastronomy herself. Today certainly has been a treat." he said, trying to discreetly wipe at his cheeks with a handkerchief. "What have you prepared for us?"

Alice put her plates down before them, taking off each cover as she did so.

"Take a look for yourself." she said, grinning.

"Oh my." said Haru, reaching forward. He picked up one of the three balls on his plate. They were white spheres, lightly dusted with powdered sugar. A ribbon was tied around each of them along with a peculiar pattern. As Haru looked closer, he realized he recognized it.

"That's me." he said in surprise. The pattern on the ball, while somewhat cartoonish and exaggerated, was undoubtedly a caricature of Malo Haru.

"It's all of you, actually." said Alice, gesturing to the other two balls. Haru looked at them and saw that she was right. He could see Kida's typical bored stare and Mimi's impatient glare looking up at him from his plate.

"They're cake balls." said Alice. "The cake mixture was stirred in with blended frosting and then coated in white chocolate. Kanon-chan was the artist here; she designed your faces herself and made a silicon plastique mould of each of them that was then applied to the surface of the ball."

Haru bit into his cake, delighting at the taste. He could taste the white chocolate and the cake together. He'd had chocolate toppings on cake before but never quite like this. The sheer ingenuity expressed in so simple a manner was exactly what he'd expect from someone as well known for unorthodox cooking as Nakiri Alice.

"Marvellous job, Alice-san. The cake is red velvet right?"

"Yup." said Alice, nodding. "You can also eat the ribbon, if you like."

Haru plucked the ribbon from the ball bearing his face, eyeing it closely.

"Pulled sugar?" he asked, noting the dusty texture of it. Alice nodded.

"Right again. You're good, Haru-kun." she said.

"No, you are, Alice-san. This dish gets an eighteen from me. What say you, Mimi-san?" he asked.

"I'm tempted to grade you low, cuz I know Momo-nee would love something like this but…"

Mimi broke off, blushing. The little faces were just so cute. It took all she had to not squeal when she saw them.

"Anyway, you get an eighteen from me too Alice-san." she said.

"I'll give you a seventeen." said Kida, already on his third cake ball.

"What's with all the seventeen's Kida-kun? That's like your fifth one." said Mimi, glaring accusingly at him. Kida shrugged and didn't respond.

"That gives you a fifty three, Alice-sama. A wonderful job." said the examiner.

"Did you expect anything less?" said Alice, smirking and bowing lightly before walking back to meet up with Kanon. The ponytailed girl was attempting to look stoic but Alice could see the happiness leaking from her.

"You did amazingly, Kanon-chan. Thank you." said Alice.

"Of course I did. I told you I would, after all." she said, smirking boastfully at the older girl. Alice laughed, walking towards the stands with the girl. She glanced over the floor as she did so, observing the sparsely distributed pairs still at their stations. At least three quarters of the entrants had already submitted their dish for judging. There wasn't that much time left. She noticed that the only faces working that she recognized were Sōma and Nene.

She also noticed that Sōma's expression seemed tight; tighter than usual. And Kumi's was openly hostile. She wished she could go over and see what exactly was going wrong but the rules were very clear. Once you'd been judged, you left the cooking floor pretty much immediately. Approaching an active station was expressly forbidden.

"What do you think is happening with Sōma-kun and his partner, Kanon-chan?" asked Alice, gesturing to the red head's station. Kanon looked over, furrowing her brows as she looked between the two.

"Well, I can't hear anything but that's Robot-sensei's 'you're being a dumb idiot' face, for sure."

"He said that to you?" asked Alice, surprised. Kanon shook her head.

"No, never in those words. He'd always say something more polite but you could pretty much hear it in his voice. Robot-sensei's a jerk." she said, frowning. "And you can tell that his sister's one of those popular girls used to getting her way. She probably doesn't like Robot-sensei's attitude and that's messing them up. Me and Sōma-sensei were going to make a soufflé; if that's still his plan, there's no way they should be taking this long."

"That's right." said Alice, frowning as well. "Even the most complicated soufflé wouldn't take much more than an hour to make. If they're still working, it's because they screwed up and had to start over."

"That's not good." said Kanon.

"To say the least." said Alice worriedly, biting her lip.

Erina noted the expression on her approaching cousin's face with concern.

"Is something wrong, Alice?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Sōma-kun is supposed to be making a soufflé." she said, by way of explanation.

Erina went to ask why that was an issue but then realized what it was as she heard the bell go off, signalling the end of the three hour time limit.

"Alright, time is officially up. Chefs, you must stop cooking immediately. You have an extra two minutes to plate your dishes and line up for judgement." said Momo, again acting through Bucchi. The large stuffed cat was held in front of her face as she gestured for the remaining chefs to finish up.

There were only three remaining students working. Nene was the first of the three to finish up and she presented her dish first, placing small bowls filled with jelly in front of the judges.

"What's this?" asked Mimi, looking unimpressed.

The glasses wearing girl held up a white and pink fruit.

"Hakuto jelly." she said. "Specifically Okayama Yume Hakuto jelly. I was able to acquire a few of them for the occasion."

"If I may ask, how?" said Haru, looking at the fruit in interest. "They don't come into season for another few months well and even then, they're not exactly plentiful."

"It was a gift from a friend." said Nene disinterestedly, tucking the fruit away.

"Well then, let your friend know that they could stand to make a lot of money if they're willing to share the fruits of their bounty, pardon the expression." said Haru. "My mother would be very interested in acquiring a few of them for herself."

"What's so special about a dumb fruit?" asked Kida, looking bored. His handheld sat in his lap, powered down, but he seemed just as disconnected as he did when it was on.

"Hakuto peaches are rare." said Haru. "But Okayama Yume Hakuto peaches are _legendary_. They're not found anywhere outside of Okayama and they're known for being among the largest and sweetest of Japan's white peaches. They're hard to get when they're in season and next to impossible to obtain when they're out of season; such is the demand for them."

"Ah. K. You get a twenty then." said Kida.

Mimi looked at him sharply.

"But you haven't even tried it, Kida-kun." said Mimi, looking pointedly at his untouched spoon.

Kida shrugged, leaning back.

"I don't like peaches, fancy or otherwise. But I still give Kinokuni-san a twenty." he said.

"That doesn't make any sense." said Mimi heatedly. "How can you give her a perfect score without even trying her dish?"

"Because suck it, that's why." he responded, yawning.

Mimi growled but snatched her spoon up, digging it aggressively into her dish instead of into Kida's thick skull. She'd probably just end up damaging the spoon.

Mimi ate the jelly and found herself taken away to a field. A single tree stood at its centre and a single large peach hung from its highest branch. The white and pink fruit was almost perfectly round. A breeze picked up and Mimi was suddenly overwhelmed by the strong, sweet scent and taste of peaches. She gasped as she felt a familiar voice in her ears.

 _Little flower, enjoy a small taste of what my garden holds._

Mimi blinked and found herself back in her seat. Her trip was much shorter and less involved than it had been before. She found her marker in her hands and saw that she was in the middle of writing a twenty onto her whiteboard. She gritted her teeth, forcing her hand to stop. She erased the number, replacing it with a nineteen. She couldn't bear to go any lower than that.

"Nineteen." she said, holding up her tablet.

"A fifty nine! My goodness, I should've expected nothing less from the student slated to replace Tsukasa-sama next year." said the examiner, smiling broadly. "Amazing work as usual, Kinokuni-sama."

Nene didn't acknowledge the praise. She simply turned and began to make her way off of the floor. The second pair of students stepped forward to take their place for judging but it was the third pair that Nene paused by.

"Yukihira."

"Kinokuni-senpai."

She met his gaze.

"I hope you haven't forgotten my words to you." she said.

Sōma quirked an eyebrow at her.

"You took away Kuga's future. And I plan to do no less to you." she said, giving him a small, cold smile.

"Feel free to try, Nene-senpai." said Sōma. "I would advise you to be cautious, however. You don't exactly seem flush with allies at the moment."

"Azami-sama is the only ally I need." she said. "You'll realize that in time."

She moved past him but paused as she saw his partner.

"And who's this?" she asked, tilting her head at the young girl. For some reason, she seemed familiar to Nene, but she wasn't sure why.

"Someone that doesn't concern you."

If Nene thought Sōma's voice had been cold before, it didn't compare to the frigidness in his tone now. He stepped from behind their cart and in front of the girl, his expression unchanged. But Nene saw the change in his eyes and the only thing keeping her fear at bay were the hot flames of anger she still held for Sōma's role in Kuga's expulsion.

"Leave. Now." he said.

"Or what, Yukihira-kun?" she asked with more calm than she actually felt. "You'll assault me, the way you did Eizan-kun? In front of all of these people?"

She gestured outwards to where the stands were. The assorted crowd weren't paying any attention to the current judging. They had their eyes firmly locked on the standoff between Nene and Sōma.

Sōma's eyes narrowed slightly but he didn't move from his stance.

"Easy does it, nii-chan." said Kumi stepping in front of her brother and pushing him back. He let Kumi's hands guide him but his eyes never left Nene's.

"Hi there. I'm Yukihira Kumi. Sōma's little sister." she said, holding her hand out.

Nene glanced down at the proffered appendage but ignored it in favour of looking back up at Sōma.

"Your sister? I hadn't heard you had a sister, Yukihira."

"Well he does." said Kumi, dropping her hand. "Now I'd appreciate it if you'd stop needling him. Your little spicy boytoy got himself expelled. Don't take it out on my brother."

Nene's eyes snapped down to Kumi's, filled with heat.

"Watch yourself." she warned.

"No, you watch yourself. My brother may not be able to hit you but I have no problem kicking your ass. I don't even go to this school." said Kumi, returning Nene's glare with equal force. "The same person that trained nii-chan trained me. So trust me when I say: back off."

"It's no surprise to me that your low class family turned out to be filled with thugs." said Nene, stepping back and giving Soma a look dripping with condescension. "What's next, Yukihira? Will your mother come and threaten me with violence too?"

The flaring of his nostrils was the only warning Sōma gave. Luckily Kumi stood in between her brother and Nene and so she felt him begin to move around her and toward the glasses wearing second year.

Without breaking stride, Kumi stepped forward, hooking her arm around Sōma's shoulder as he tried to leap forward. She placed her leg into his instep, rotating with the motion as she redirected Sōma's momentum into the floor instead of full on into one Kinokuni Nene.

As he fell to the floor, Sōma tried to catch himself but Kumi jabbed him in the neck with her free hand, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble further, falling onto his back as Kumi fell with him, landing onto his chest with her knees.

The entire thing took a second, at most. Most of the spectators didn't even see what happened. One minute, Sōma was standing behind his sister, glaring at Nene. The other, he was on the floor on his back, with his sister's knees pressed into his chest.

Nene stepped back, startled at the sudden movement and hostility. Kumi slapped her brother firmly before slapping him again, for good measure. She grabbed him by the lapels, leaning down to whisper into his ear.

"Get a hold of yourself, you colossal idiot." She whispered sharply, her tone biting. "I should've never been able to drop you like that; has this school made you that stupid? Ojii-chan would be sick if he could see you right now!"

Sōma didn't respond to his sister. He was craning his neck to look at Nene. Even from where he lay, prone on the floor, his glare still held all of the ill will he could muster. The hostility in his gaze caused the glasses wearing girl to take another step back.

"Go."

The word slipped from between Sōma's gritted teeth and Nene was halfway to the exit before she even realized it. As she practically ran away, Sōma glared after her, panting. His throat and face still hurt from where Kumi had hit him but he could barely feel them with the sudden anger he felt in his chest.

"Come on. Get up."

Kumi sprung to her feet, giving Soma a none-too-gentle kick to his side as she did so. He stood up, looking at his sister but he didn't respond to the almost palpable waves of disappointment he could feel radiating off of her. He glanced around at the spectator's stands, noticing that they'd fallen silent. Among them he saw nothing but surprised and stunned faces. With one noted exception.

Alice's face was sad. Heart crushingly sad.

The sudden guilt he felt in response caught Sōma off guard; he gasped as he felt his other half rise up with surprising strength. The Sōma that felt things like compassion and happiness and honour. The hapless Sōma that could barely hold a knife properly but knew how to talk to his friends; that knew how to keep himself from attacking a helpless high school girl.

Sōma grit his teeth, holding his temple with one hand as he felt _that_ Sōma lash out and grab hold. He fought the sensation for several seconds, surprised beyond belief. He'd made sure that his other side didn't have any control; it had been the compromise he'd inadvertently signed onto when he started reshuffling his head after Tsukasa's helpful advice.

He was Sōma's strength; Sōma's talents and ability to take on anything; destroy anything he needed to. He had Sōma's physical prowess, his abilities in the kitchen, his unwavering determination. He had everything that made Sōma who he was. He'd easily given up everything extra; everything he'd deemed superfluous and useless.

He'd made the same mistake he'd made before he'd broken his chain. He'd misunderstood a critical part of himself and was now caught up in a struggle for dominance that should never have been allowed to happen.

 **How did this happen? How are you doing this?**

 _ **It took me a while to figure out, that's for sure.**_

The obnoxiously cheerful reply caught Sōma off guard and he almost growled at the practically infectious sense of cheer he could feel radiating from what _should_ have been his weaker half.

 **We don't have time for this.**

 _ **You're right. I'll let you go, for now. But we're going to talk later.**_

Sōma regained control of his limbs but felt the other presence in his head, persistently stable. He looked up and found Kumi looking back at him worriedly.

"Come on nii-chan. We're almost done. Then we can look at getting you fixed, alright?" she said, pulling him by the hand to the judges table. Sōma noticed that the judges had already received their covered bowls.

"And just what was that?" asked Kida, eyebrows raised. For the first time all day, he seemed interested in something. "You looked like you were about to beat that girl up."

"It was a headache." said Kumi, looking up at Sōma. "He gets really bad headaches sometimes. And they can make him pretty cranky. And that girl is kind of a jerk. That's all. Right nii-chan?"

Sōma nodded, one hand still held to his temple. It did nothing to stop the joyful laughter that resounded in his head.

 _ **Kumi sure is quick on her feet, huh?**_

"Alright then." said Haru. "Excitement aside, I believe you're our last judgement for the day so I hope you brought something impressive."

As the judges began to dig into the soufflés, Sōma found himself distracted by the feeling in his head. It wasn't a painful feeling; not really. It was just uncomfortable. It was like someone was pressing on the inside of his skull. Not hard enough to hurt but more than hard enough to be noticeable.

 _ **I could be doing a lot worse, ya know? I'd appreciate a thanks, even though I know you won't give me one.**_

"It's like a cloud!" said Mimi, smiling as she ate another piece of the soufflé. "The chocolate and vanilla are harmonized to perfection! And the presentation it adds to the dish is remarkable."

Mimi gestured to the cup where, upon breaking its dark brown surface, white streaks were present within the dish, spiralling into a centre of pure, creamy white soufflé at the very base of the pastry's center.

"This is something else. A fitting last dish." said Haru, smiling. "Central's Premier Enforcer does good work. I admit that I was worried; I'd heard about the negativity your cooking has inspired in these recent months, Sōma-san. But this dish holds none of it. I suppose we have your partner to thank for that?"

Sōma nodded, only half listening.

 _ **Yea, I could only imagine how furious they'd be right now if you'd made it yourself. And I doubt kids are as impartial as other judges.**_

"Well, I think that this dish deserves no less than a nineteen." said Haru, holding up his tablet.

"Twenty from me." said Mimi, still savouring each bite as she slowly worked through her bowl. "I _love_ soufflés! I wish Momo-nee made them more often."

"Fifteen." said Kida.

The other judges paused at Kida's score. Mimi openly goggled at him.

"Fifteen?! Are you nuts Kida-kun? This is amazing!" she said, jabbing her spoon at him. "You've already finished yours!"

Kida shrugged, pushing the empty bowl away from him.

"It was pretty good." he allowed. "Could've been better. I took points off cuz this is like their fourth try. Right?"

Kumi narrowed her eyes at the boy, crossing her arms.

"I don't see why that matters." she said tightly.

"Well, I'm the judge. Not you." said Kida, shrugging. "And I say you get a fifteen from me."

"And that gives you a score of fifty four, Yukihira-san." said the examiner. "Please exit the cooking floor."

"Gladly." said Kumi, still glaring at Kida. "Come on, nii-chan."

Sōma followed behind Kumi listlessly, still focusing on the voice…the presence in his head. He'd always had full control; he'd let his other half run free at his whim and his alone. He'd taken all that mattered from their very being and his other side had been forced to settle for the remnants he'd left behind.

 _ **Leftovers? Really? Things like honesty, happiness, remorse? Those are all mere remnants? Who are we kidding?**_

The voice's friendly mocking was interrupted by a voice that originated outside of Sōma's head.

"Sōma-kun?"

 **Alice** _ **.**_

 _ **Alice.**_

As one, Sōma looked up and faced the white haired girl. She stood before him, arms crossed. There were still traces of sadness across her face; mostly hidden from view but plain as day to Sōma's eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked, reaching up to brush his bangs back so she could look him in the eye.

 _ **There's my girl.**_

The sheer amount of emotion that came along with those three words was enough to make Sōma gasp and he stepped back, feeling his hold on his body slipping. He debated simply succumbing but found the very idea reprehensible; Yukihira Sōma didn't surrender. That sort of weakness didn't reside in him.

 _ **It's the tree that bends that doesn't break, you know.**_

 **Shut up.**

Clamping down on his other side as much as he could, Sōma returned his attention to Alice, who had stepped forward concernedly. She'd raised her hands but seemed unsure where to place them.

"I'm fine, Alice." said Sōma, his voice steady. He looked away from her insistent red eyed gaze and saw the others crowded around them. The sheer volume of people startled him and he started assessing threat potential immediately; moving to position himself in between the group and Alice.

 _ **NO!**_

Sōma's body locked up before he could take a single step. His eyes widened as he factored in his inability to control his body to his assessment of the danger surrounding them. His breathing began to pick up and he struggled against the firm hold his other half had on him; twitching and spasming. He saw people start to step forward and he grit his teeth, almost growling. He couldn't allow them to approach, not before he had control of himself. The threat of the red eyed, dark haired one alone was enough to…

 _ **This isn't getting us anywhere. Move.**_

With an abrupt snap, Sōma found himself tumbling head over heels. His limbs flailed as he struggled to find purchase until he hit the floor with a slam that rattled every bone in his body. He almost instantly sprung into a crouch, taking stock of his surroundings warily as he felt his heart begin to calm in his chest.

He was in a dark, featureless area. It was pitch black but Sōma could see in spite of that. He looked down at his hands and found them to be a monotone, white color that looked nothing like human skin. He was no longer garbed in a chef's uniform; instead he was in a Tōtsuki uniform, blazer and all. The entirety of his outfit was black and Sōma was sure, if he checked, that his hair was much the same shade.

The only thing in the abyss with him was a floor length mirror that stood a few feet away from him, in which a fully colored, cheerfully grinning Yukihira Sōma stood in the frame. He waved as his double laid eyes on him.

"I'm going to need you to chill here for a while; I'll handle things upstairs until we can sort this out, man to man. See ya."

He waved again and faded from view, opening his eyes in the real world as he did so. He was standing rigidly and Alice was still looking at him in concern; no time had passed since his other side had slipped and he was grateful for that.

He smiled widely at Alice and he saw her expression relax in response.

"Welcome back, Sōma-kun."

"Thanks Alice." said Sōma. He looked over her shoulder and waved. "Hey guys."

As if taking Sōma's words as permission, the rest of the waiting party stepped forward to where Alice stood. The group consisted mostly of Sōma's allies and the other Polar Star competitors, along with their DEF kitchen partners. Erina was the first to speak up.

"Well, it seems your plan was successful, Yukihira-kun." she said, her expression neutral. "It was an intelligent bit of trickery on your part, I must admit."

"Trickery's a bit harsh. I'd prefer to call it thinking flexibly." said Sōma, grinning impishly in response to Erina's cool tone.

"Be that as it may, we all did well." said Megumi, softly interjecting. She smiled gratefully at Sōma. "I doubt we would've done nearly as well with the partners Central had chosen for us."

"Undoubtedly." said Takumi, his arms folded. "I can hardly imagine having a better partner than Nina-chan here."

"But Takumi-sensei…" the girl began to protest, blushing. Takumi silenced her with a short wave of his hand, smiling at her.

"So that's two stages down, three to go." said Hayama thoughtfully. "I'm actually rather curious as to what the next challenge could be, considering the lack of a current third seat. Have you been provided with any additional information, Yukihira?"

Sōma shook his head.

"Not a word. Azami's been tight lipped with everyone on just what that's going to entail. Even Rindō-senpai was clueless."

"Well, that's not exactly true."

Sōma jumped in response to the nearby voice, along with the arm that suddenly found its way around his shoulders. He looked to the left and found his eyes met with Rindō's mischievous ones. The maroon haired girl was smirking and toying with a lock of her hair in her free hand while her other remained firmly secured around Sōma's shoulders.

"Rindō-senpai." said Sōma, rapidly getting over his surprise. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, were you worried about little old me, Sōma-kun?" asked Rindō, exaggeratedly widening her eyes.

"More worried about what you were getting up to honestly." said Sōma, his voice deadpan. The response made Rindō smile even wider.

"I do have a knack for getting up to no good, don't I?" she asked innocently, touching the tip of her finger to her chin in idle thought. "What if I promise you I wasn't up to anything too bad?"

"I'd think you were lying. Or purposely misinterpreting just what 'too bad' means." he said.

Rindō laughed, releasing Sōma from her grip so she could slap him on the back.

"It really has been too long. I missed that Yukihira wit of yours, Sōma-kun. And speaking of Yukihiras…"

Rindō moved her gaze to the dark haired girl that stood a few feet away. Kumi had her arms crossed and was eyeing Rindō with no small amount of scepticism.

"You must be Kumi." said Rindō, stepping forward. She extended a hand politely, smiling. "I've heard a lot about you."

"You have?" she asked warily, looking over at Sōma before looking back at Rindō's extended hand before hesitantly taking it. "I was under the impression nii-chan didn't talk about me much."

"Nope, Sōma-kun kept you as quite the little secret. But I have my own ways of making boys talk." said Rindō, winking. Kumi's face blanched and she stepped back, releasing Rindō's hand as if it had burnt her.

"Ewwwwww!" shouted the girl, shaking her hand. The usual maturity she carried herself with faded entirely and she began hopping up and down. "Gross, gross, gross!"

Rindō blinked, surprised at the sudden turnaround in the girl's mood. She turned to look at Sōma, who had sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Your sense of timing is as inconvenient as ever, senpai." he said. "Kumi's not…well, she's not the biggest fan of…um…"

"DID YOU DO NASTY THINGS WITH MY BROTHER?!"

The high pitched shriek caught everyone off guard. Kumi was still shaking her hand. She was holding it far from her body, as if afraid to let it touch any other part of her.

"Um…I…"

Rindō was, for once, speechless.

"DID YOU USE THAT HAND TO DO IT? TELL ME RIGHT NOW!" shouted Kumi, red faced. Her chef's hat was tilted sloppily on her head, in danger of falling off and her eyes were beginning to tear up. Rindō, for all that she was usually indifferent to the feelings of others, panicked at the sudden onslaught of childish fury. Everything she'd heard about the younger girl had given her the impression that Kumi was a calm, if somewhat haughty, individual. Mature beyond her years.

"No, no! I promise Kumi-chan, we didn't." she shouted, cheeks red. "Nothing of the sort."

"Really? You swear? On your life and the lives of your family?" asked Kumi, staring intensely into Rindō's eyes. Her eyes were pitch black in their intensity and it caused Rindō to blurt out something that did absolutely nothing to help the situation.

"Well not today, anyway."

Rindō froze, her eyes wide. She looked over Kumi's shoulder at the crowd of Sōma's friends that still stood nearby, actively watching the discussion. Alice sighed, shaking her head. Sōma groaned, slapping one of his hands over his eyes.

"Senpai…" he muttered, shaking his head.

Kumi was staring wide eyed at Rindō, frozen in shock. But her reaction, while delayed, was even more surprising. Her mouth shut closed with an audible click and her face fell, withdrawn. What little light there was in her eyes faded away, leaving them as wide, round black orbs. She turned to face Sōma.

"Nii-chan. Bathroom."

Her tone was clipped and robotic, in an almost eerie mirror to Sōma's.

Sōma groaned again, pointing to the right at the side door.

"Through there at the end of the second hallway on your right. Bright green door, can't miss it."

"Thank you." said Kumi, her tone unchanged. She abruptly turned and began walking away.

Once Sōma heard the door open and close, he removed his hand from his eyes only to shove it into his hair with a third groan.

"She's going to be in there for at least twenty minutes. Thank you for that, Rindō-senpai."

Rindō had recovered from her shock and was simply staring curiously at the door the girl had exited through. Most of the people standing around them were doing the same, with varying expressions of confusion, humour and concern.

" **The fuck was that about?** " asked Oro, his blue, white flamed bandanna still fixed in place from the challenge. He was struck immediately by a blow, sending him directly into the floor. Ryo dusted his hand off, peering down at his partner. The blue bandanna was clutched in his clenched fist.

"Language." he admonished simply before looking up at Sōma.

"I concur with the kid's general idea though. What exactly was that, Yukihira?"

Sōma scratched the back of his head, sighing.

"Ok. So you know how some kids believe in cooties? Kumi's thing is kind of like that."

"I don't really understand." said Alice, trying and failing to hide her smile. "She thinks Rindō-senpai has…cooties?"

Rindō frowned uncharitably at the white haired girl, who was now openly snickering at the look on the Second seat's face. Sōma shook his head, still awkwardly scratching at the back of his head.

"It's more like…any sort of non-platonic affection makes her really…uncomfortable. When Rindō-senpai said what she did, Kumi realized she was holding the hand of someone who'd done…things. The fact that I was involved in said things only made it that much worse to her, I assume."

"That's ridiculous, Sōma-kun." said Rindō, scoffing. She seemed completely unfazed by the blunt discussion of her and Sōma's past dealings before such a large group. "How does she walk outside with that sort of attitude? Anyone over the age of sixteen should terrify her."

"She's fine, normally." said Sōma. "It's only when someone brings it up and makes her think about it that it really ever bothers her. And even then, she usually just needs to leave the conversation to get over it. But to be touching someone's hand? A hand she suddenly realized is "tainted" in her mind?"

Sōma looked to the door she'd exited out of.

"She's probably scrubbing her hand raw right now. I'd be surprised if any soap was left in there by the time she's done."

There was a beat of silence.

"Your family's weird, Sōma-kun." said Rindō.

"Isn't everyone's?" he responded lightly with a small smile.

No one chose to deny it, though there were many thinking that there was a difference between everyday weird and _Yukihira_ weird. There was one person, however, who'd been thinking furiously on what she'd just learnt and stepped forward to make Sōma aware of that fact.

"So you and the cat eye girl used to be boyfriend and girlfriend then, Sōma-sensei?" asked Kanon, narrowing her eyes at him. She puffed her cheeks out and stomped on the floor, glaring.

Soma opened his mouth but paused, not knowing how to correct the girl without also ruining her innocence. Luckily, Kanon had already built up a full head of steam and continued speaking almost immediately.

"How many floozies are you going to mess around with before marrying Megumi-sensei?!" she cried, stomping her foot.

The pigtailed girl's statement prompted a sudden round of laughter from those aware of Kanon's particular opinion on Sōma and Megumi's romantic lives. It simply left Rindō completely confused. Megumi was blushing intensely and looking at the floor, almost hidden behind Erina, who was smiling good naturedly at the statement.

Sōma simply covered his eyes again, resisting the urge to blush in response to Kanon's assertion. He also mentally thanked her for redirecting the flow of the conversation; hopefully the joke would be enough to let the topic of him and Rindō go to the back of everyone's mind. He didn't need to get into that; not here and definitely not like this.

"Anyway." said Sōma loudly, doing his best to speak over the laughter. "Why don't we all get going? I'm sure Fiji-baa-san is wondering just where her students are. The bus should be waiting right out front by now."

His friends voiced their agreement and began heading towards the large, double door exits to the room. They began talking amongst each other, some going over their dish with their partners, others discussing the task itself and how odd the judges had been. Sōma smiled at the group from his place in the rear and turned, breaking away from the crowd as they passed by a particular door.

"I'll go wait on Kumi and meet you guys back at the mansion, alright Alice?" he called.

"No problem, Sōma-kun." she called back before resuming her conversation with Erina.

Sōma pushed through the door, whistling to himself. He followed the hallway, turning down the second corridor and coming to the bathroom door. He could still hear the sink inside running and so he propped himself up against the wall.

"Hey, Kumi. Hurry it up in there, alright?" he called before turning his attention inward.

 _ **How you doing in there, sulky?**_

 **You aren't nearly as amusing as you believe yourself to be** _ **.**_

 _ **You mean we. It's our sense of humour after all.**_

Sōma grinned at the predictable lack of response. Even the uncomfortable pressure he felt in his head wasn't enough to sway his mood. He'd taken control. He'd found the proper leverage and evened the playing field out. Now if only he could figure out how to keep things that way.

 _ **Any ideas?**_

Sōma waited but, when it was clear none was forthcoming, he rolled his eyes.

 _ **Quit being dramatic. Speak up. We need to resolve this somehow.**_

 **If I had anything to offer, I would. I'm just as confused as you are.**

 _ **Yet you're much chattier than you were a few days ago. I wonder what changed? A power dynamic, perhaps?**_

 **For someone claiming to seek resolution, you're being quite antagonistic.**

 _ **Don't you think you kinda deserve it? Lighten up. I'm just kidding around. I'm you and you're me and all that jazz. There's no point in us fighting like this.**_

 **Of course there's a point. The point is that, while we are two halves of the same whole, one of us is clearly more necessary than the other.**

Sōma frowned at the implied slight; it faded quickly as the emotion faded, like all of his negative ones did. Ever since he'd broken his chain.

 _ **That funnelling thing is pretty creepy; I wish you'd stop doing it.**_

 **It's not exactly voluntary. You're the one that abused the link between us and got it to where it is now.**

 _ **Because we were SO much better off before.**_

 **At least it was easier to control us before. Now there's no check and balance. We're switching and swapping and pretending like we understand how any of this works!**

 _ **Of course we understand it; it's our mind!**_

 **Fool! Does having a broken bone mean you automatically understand what makes it so? Does it mean you know how to set it, fashion a splint, check for infection?**

 _ **I'd like to point out that we DO know how to do all of those things.**_

 **I know you grasp the metaphor; stop being coy. It's both exhausting and pointless.**

Sōma chuckled out loud, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. The hall was just as empty as it was before he'd began talking to himself. He chuckled again at the thought.

 _ **Boy, that makes us sound pretty crazy, huh?**_

 **Well, we're not exactly the picture of sanity right now.**

His other side's dry wit caused Sōma to outright laugh and he covered his mouth, attempting to stifle it. He briefly wondered if Kumi had heard him and then realized just how long he'd been waiting outside. He could still hear the water running inside.

"Kumi?"

Sōma stepped towards the door, knocking firmly on the wood. He waited, straining his ears.

"Kumi?"

Sōma knocked again, harder, but still heard no response. He didn't even hear any movement or shuffling. His heart dropped and he opened the door.

He was met with the sight of an empty bathroom with a running faucet. His sister was nowhere in sight. For a moment, Sōma wondered if she'd gotten lost or simply gone to a different bathroom but then he glimpsed something in the mirror that made him freeze.

He reached around the door, grasping the piece of fabric he could see hanging off of the hook on its back. Lifting it off and bringing it around revealed to Sōma exactly what it was.

A navy chef's hat.

XXXXXXX

 **A/N: So I checked the review count for chapter 25 and it was…**

 ***drum roll***

 **One! One review, haha.**

 **That saddened me, not gonna lie. I love when I hear from you guys! I love hearing your thoughts and opinions on the story. I even love when I get the flames because, sometimes, the flames are accurate and help make me a better writer. Other times they're just hilarious jokes I email to my friends. And other times, they make me really sad. But I still love them!**

 **So please, if you have any sort of opinion, hit that review button and let me know! I think I'm pretty decent at responding to reviews, although I generally will respond more to reviews that ask some sort of question or state some sort of complex thought as opposed to reviews that are just like "Good chap!"**

 **Even still though, I love all of the reviews you guys send in so please send in more! Or don't! That's your choice and I'm gonna keep on posting either way. See ya guys later!**


	27. Chapter 26

Alice checked her phone for what felt like the fifth time since she'd arrived back at the mansion. The home screen still stared blankly back at her; no missed calls or new text messages. No word from Sōma.

She hadn't been too concerned initially; she wasn't Sōma's keeper. He could've easily been side tracked by something on his way back. But as the afternoon turned into dusk, and dusk turned into the true darkness of night, she grew worried. Her worry only grew when her calls went unanswered and her text messages sat without a response.

She called Erina to see if she had any insight but her cousin hadn't seen Sōma since they'd left him to go find his sister. She'd asked around Polar Star and confirmed that it was the last time any of them had seen Sōma that day.

Alice had thanked her and hung up but that only left her alone with her thoughts. She'd tried speaking to Ryo but he'd been less than helpful. He was never very talkative and he only became even more silent at the mention of the red head. Alice didn't directly ask but she was sure he still resented the Yukihira chef for what he'd done to Alice. It didn't seem to matter to him that Alice had long forgiven Sōma for his indiscretions.

Her parents were much the same; hours spent on the phone trying to convince her mother of Sōma's worth went nowhere. She couldn't seem to forgive the boy for kissing another girl. The things she told Alice she'd do to her father if she ever even suspected he was doing something like that made Alice pale just thinking about it. For most women, it would've been simple hyperbole but Alice's mother was even stronger than she was and could quite easily carry out any of the number of things she'd claimed she would've.

Her father had mostly remained silent on the matter but that was message enough; he simply refused to speak with Alice about the issue. After their first conversation about it, he'd forbidden her from bringing it up with him.

 _But papa, just listen!_

 _I don't need to, Alice. I know more than enough from what my father has told me. The Yukihira boy is out of control and I have no interest in seeing you involved with him._

 _But he's doing all of this for Erina's sake!_

 _His reasons aren't the issue; his methods are. He's the type of man that would see the world burn to see his goals accomplished, trust me on that. This family does not need another Nakamura Azami in it, Alice!_

Her father's words had stunned her and they hadn't spoken on it since.

Alice checked her phone absently and noted both the time and the lack of any sort of notification whatsoever. If Sōma was going to contact her, he would've done it by now. All she could hope is that he was okay and that he got in touch with her soon.

Despite resigning herself to that, she didn't stop worrying. All she could think about was what could've happened to Sōma as she prepared for bed. He plagued her dreams. He was on her mind the moment she awoke the next day. She couldn't stop her thoughts from revolving around her errant ex-boyfriend.

After checking her phone and his room, she felt the pit of worry in her stomach grow even further. His room was untouched; there's no way he'd spent the night there. Another call to Erina only produced the same results as last night; no one had seen hide nor hair of the Yukihira chef. Instead Erina told Alice to turn on her television, as her father was preparing to make the announcement for the third trial of the Elite Ten Selection. Maybe they'd be able to gather some clues from that.

XXXXXXXX

"Greetings, dear students." began Azami. He sat behind his desk, hands folded before him. His smile was fixed in place, polite and empty. "As you know, the tasks for this year's Selection were dictated by our graduating Elite Ten members. They each independently devised a challenge of their choosing, designed to ensure the Elite Ten following them will be the best that Tōtsuki has to offer."

Azami placed his hands flat on his desk.

"As you know, regrettably, we lost our third seat, Megishima Tosuke, earlier this year. He simply was not open to the new direction that Tōtsuki was taking. He was unable to reconcile his beliefs with those of Central's and, for the good of us all, I was forced to dismiss him. I would've liked nothing better than for him to be here today, with a unique challenge of his own for the Appetizer course, but that is simply not to be."

Azami sighed sadly, shaking his head in sorrow. Or what appeared to be sorrow.

"Be that as it may, I've stepped forward in his place and devised a challenge that I think would be suited for the Selection. I've kept the details hidden, even from those on the Elite Ten Council, so I'm sure it will be an equal surprise to you all."

Azami cleared his throat, picking up a piece of paper that rested before him.

"The third trial will take place in a little over a week's time. Those still participating are to gather in kitchens A through C in the South hall with whatever tools and ingredients you feel you'll need next Saturday at 10 AM sharp. The challenge itself is quite simple. You will have two hours to cook an appetizer from this pre-approved list."

Azami gestured and, though he couldn't see it, he knew that the camera feed had switched to a slow panning over the list in question.

"I've composed this list myself; these appetizers represent the pinnacle of haute cuisine; any restaurant capable of serving even half of what I've compiled would boast at least a two star Michelin ranking. Don't fret; this list is also posted on the main Tōtsuki website and on each billboard throughout the administration building."

Azami gestured again, bringing the cameras back to focus on him.

"As you may have noticed; the list was composed of not only appetizers but also starters from several branches of fine dining. It's not customary, but I found the diversity it offered to be worth the break in tradition. Per Akanegakubo-kun's challenge, there will be examiners patrolling. They are there to assess your cooking methods; it's not enough to get something that simply looks like top tier cuisine. You must also use the proper techniques in its preparation and that's what my examiners will be looking for. They will be closely scrutinizing just how you come up with your dish. But that will only be a third of your score for this particular trial. The remaining points will be allotted by your judges."

Azami's smile grew a touch more genuine, which only served to make it even more discomforting.

"The judging for this phase of the Selection will be particularly rigorous. I've handpicked the judges myself and I can tell you that they are in an entirely different league from any judge you've had thus far, up to and including those that served at the Autumn Election. But I won't spoil the surprise here; their identities will be revealed when the time comes. See you all next Saturday."

Azami waved, the broadcast light on the camera winking out almost immediately after the motion.

He sighed softly before looking to the right.

"What did you think, was I being too melodramatic Sōma-kun?"

Sōma's cold, golden eyes looked back at Azami's. He stood straight, arms clasped behind his back from his position just outside of the camera's frame.

"A small amount of theatre is needed every now and again in a position such as yours, Nakiri-sama."

Sōma's tone was calm and polite, respectful. Empty.

Azami nodded to himself, agreeing with the teen but not deigning to respond. If Sōma was offended, it didn't show on his face.

"Of course, of course. Now that the announcement is out of the way, I do believe you and I have an appointment to keep; please go and prepare the room for us."

Sōma nodded mechanically.

"Right away, Nakiri-sama."

Sōma nodded in assent, exiting the office briskly.

Azami smiled coldly as he gazed at the dark wood door Sōma shut in his wake. It felt good to reclaim one of his wandering toys. He'd given Sōma so much leniency that he was worried he'd started to lose him. But one simple word had reassured Azami that Sōma was still his, first and foremost.

Azami frowned as he thought under just what circumstances he'd been forced to reclaim Sōma under.

XXXXXXXX

 _Azami pulled into the parking lot of the East Hall building at speed. He braked, turning the bike at a slight angle, causing the entire frame to rotate and slide, bringing him to a smooth halt directly in front of the parking spot bearing his name. He turned the bike off, the loud noise of the engine abating instantly, before kicking down its stand, getting up and removing his helmet in one smooth motion. He perched the helmet on the motorcycle's display, smiling softly as he did so._

 _He didn't often ride motorcycles; he'd learnt how to do so many years previously but he rarely indulged the habit. Much too dangerous. But it was still just as exhilarating as he remembered._

 _He began ascending the steps, ignoring the glances and whispers from the students around him that noticed his entrance. He rolled his sleeves down, idly noting the sweat rings on the shirt. That simply wouldn't do. He'd have to change. Luckily, this shouldn't take long. He simply needed to check in with the examiners and Momo personally, ensuring that Kida had followed his instructions to the letter. It had been a struggle to convince the fourth seat to allow him to select one of the judges but she'd folded beneath him, as all did eventually. Azami wasn't often denied._

" _Ah, excuse me, sir?"_

 _Azami paused, looking towards the high pitched voice. He saw a girl dressed in a navy chef's uniform. She had dark black hair that fell to just past her shoulders; it was messily tousled in a way that Azami would've chided Erina for at her age but Azami held his tongue; he didn't have the time or inclination to waste on some random child._

" _Yes?" he inquired. She bowed politely in response; her bearing calm. Her dark violet eyes made Azami frown; they seemed familiar though he was sure he'd never seen the girl before in his life._

" _I was just wondering if you could direct me towards the auditorium where the Elite Ten Selection is taking place; I'm afraid I got turned around on my way back to it." she said with a small frown._

" _Ah, you're one of the children here to assist then?" asked Azami, slightly intrigued. He'd assumed she was simply some wayward middle schooler._

" _Yes, I am. The task only just finished and I had to wash my hands. None of the station sinks had any antibacterial soap." she said, grimacing._

 _Azami nodded sympathetically. He could relate. He hated the feeling of unclean hands after he was done in the kitchen. It simply wasn't comfortable by any means._

" _As a matter of fact, I'm on my way there myself. Shall I escort you?" said Azami genially._

 _The girl blinked in response, eyebrows furrowing as she looked up at Azami before shrugging._

" _If it wouldn't be any trouble."_

" _I assure you, no trouble at all."_

 _They began walking down the hall, their steps unhurried._

" _So, may I ask who your partner was for the challenge?" asked Azami idly._

" _Yukihira Sōma." she said. The mention of his wayward enforcer perked Azami's ears although he was careful to ensure his expression didn't shift._

" _Ah, I see. A bright young man, one of the best in his year if I'm not mistaken. Am I to assume you're one of the children from the DEF kitchen then?" asked Azami, keeping all displeasure from his tone. He'd been informed by Tsukasa about Sōma's little stunt and it had taken mere minutes for his team to ferret out just where the unknown group of children had originated from._

" _Not exactly." said the girl guardedly. "I'm more of an independent chef, I suppose."_

" _Ah, I see." said Azami. "Quite remarkable, considering your age."_

" _I'm nine years old." she said, almost testily. "Plenty old enough in my dad's opinion. My brother's been cooking since he was three."_

" _Impressive." said Azami idly, noting the auditorium doors ahead of them. "Well, here's our destination…I apologize. I'm just now realizing I neither asked for your name nor offered you my own. How impolite of me; allow me to rectify that."_

 _Azami held out a hand, smiling down at the girl._

" _I'm Nakiri Azami."_

 _Azami saw the girl's calm expression morph into one of utter, jaw dropping surprise. She took a step back from him, almost stumbling into the wall as she simply kept staring at him. Azami frowned, wondering at the odd reaction. What about his identity could've provoked such a response?_

 _He stepped forward, laying a hand on her shoulder. The way she flinched in response only made Azami more curious._

" _Are you alright?" he asked._

 _The girl didn't respond. She simply kept looking up at Azami and he found her shock had been replaced with fear. Wide eyed, speechless fear. He frowned further before looking at the top of her head, near the center of the tousled mass of dark black hair. Something had caught his eye. He reached forward without thinking; wondering at what he must have seen._

 _That's when he heard the rapid pattering of footsteps coming from the adjacent hallway. He stopped, looking to his left to see the form of Yukihira Sōma come barrelling into view. The boy looked left before looking right and freezing. He looked at Azami, frozen in place as his eyes met Azami's own._

 _In them, Azami saw the moment Sōma made the decision to attack him._

 _Sōma rushed forward, his eyes focused on Azami's own. The look of murderous rage in them prompted Azami to take action, his movements calm but hurried. He stood quickly, stepping forward and snapping his fingers as he did so._

 _Sōma stumbled in his run, almost falling straight to the floor. He snarled, an inhuman sound before lurching towards Azami once more._

 _He snapped his fingers a second time._

 _Sōma gasped, stumbling further. His eyes wavered between rage and confusion before settling on the former. Their golden depths lit up as he walked towards Azami, his hands balled into fists but his pace slow and plodding._

 _Azami waited until Sōma was almost in arm's length before snapping his fingers a third and final time._

 _Sōma came to a complete stop, his arms falling listlessly to his side. His head fell forward, his chin thumping against his chest. He would've tipped over if not for Azami moving to grip his right shoulder firmly. With his other hand, he gripped Sōma's hair and angled his head upwards._

 _The look on Sōma's face was blank and lifeless; empty. Not the focused and cold emptiness that he'd become known for but the kind of emptiness more suited to the dead than the living._

" _ **Dritte**_ _." said Azami firmly._

 _Azami released Sōma's hair, letting his head fall forward as he gripped Sōma's other shoulder. Sōma's body began to twitch, his fingers flexing and moving unpredictably. His shoulders shook in Azami's grasp, causing the man to grunt as he struggled to hold Sōma in place. For all that he was shorter, Sōma was stronger than he was. He slammed Sōma's back against the wall, eliciting no noise from him but a gasp from someone else._

 _Azami looked over to the girl, who was staring at the boy in his grip with a horrified expression._

" _Girl."_

 _Azami's tone contained none of his previous, false affability. She looked at Azami, barely able to tear her eyes from Sōma's twitching form._

" _Leave. Now."_

 _She didn't move. Azami grit his teeth and felt his control slip as Sōma continued to shake. He didn't have the patience for this. He let his mask slip further and the intimidating look he gave the girl was one he was sure she would remember._

" _GO!"_

 _The girl yelped, turning and running blindly down the hall. Azami spared no more thought for her, focusing his attentions on Sōma, who'd begun to shake more frequently but less intensely. It was a good sign. It meant his training still held; that he still had control, despite all of the rebellion he'd let Sōma foster with himself._

 _As Sōma's fits subsided, Azami released his shoulders. He stepped back, folding his arms as he simply continued to watch. He didn't have to wait long. Sōma stopped shaking completely and took one deep breath. His hands flexed once or twice, curling into fists before subsequently relaxing._

" _Well, how do you feel, Sōma-kun?"_

 _Sōma's ear twitched at Azami's voice but he didn't move immediately. He continued standing completely still for a moment before taking another deep breath looking up, his eyes sharp and hard._

" _Greetings, Nakiri-sama."_

" _Welcome back, Sōma-kun."_

XXXXXXX

"Do you see Alice anywhere?" asked Erina concernedly, looking around the gathered crowd of participants. The amount of people still competing to be in next year's Elite Ten had certainly decreased but there was still a crowd numbering in the dozens in the preparatory rooms attached to the South hall.

"I don't believe she's arrived yet." said Megumi, clutching the strap of the bag she held over her shoulder. She was looking around as well but she didn't see the distinctive shock of white hair that was Alice's anywhere.

"Kurokiba's not here either though." noted Takumi. The blond boy stood near Megumi's side and had a chef's case slung across his shoulder.

"I'm sure they'll both arrive with plenty of time to spare." said Isami, an identical chef's case held in his large hands. "I wouldn't worry."

Erina nodded absently in response to the Italian chef's assurance but she didn't voice her inner concerns. Alice had been growing progressively more and more distraught as time passed and there was no word on Sōma's whereabouts. Joichiro had left Tōtsuki the same day to take Kumi back home and hadn't returned since, though he'd left word with them that he had no idea where Sōma was but that he was sure he was fine.

This vague assurance did nothing to settle Alice's nerves and Erina knew she'd probably spent more time worried over the missing redhead than preparing for the third trial. She wished she could've done more for her cousin but there simply wasn't time. While the dishes her father had dictated were widely varied; none of them were easy and very few had been covered at all in their classes, meaning they had to devote time to research and experimentation.

The fact that they could do so much in a little over a week was a testament to their skill. Which was probably intentional on Azami's part. Anyone that couldn't do at least that much wasn't worth being a part of the Elite Ten Council.

"Ah, there she is." said Megumi, pointing to the rear entrance doors, where Alice and Ryo could be seen entering. Erina headed towards them, doing her best to ensure she didn't break out into a jog as she got closer and noticed her cousin's state of being.

"Alice…" said Erina worriedly, drawing close to her. "Are you alright?"

The Danish Nakiri's normally pristine white hair was limp and lied flat on her head. Her normally bright red eyes were dull and had bags underlining them. The wan smile she gave Erina was nothing like the mischievous grins her cousin was known for.

"I'm fine, Erina." said Alice, waving off her concern. Ryo cleared his throat pointedly, glancing down at Alice. She rolled her eyes in response, groaning. "Ok, fine. I'm not fine. I still haven't heard from Sōma. I waited as long as Ryo would let me at the mansion but he never showed. At this rate, he's going to miss the trial. And then what would all of this have been for?"

Erina placed a hand on her cousin's shoulder comfortingly.

"This is Yukihira-kun we're talking about, Alice." she said, smiling softly. "I'm sure he's fine. And he'll figure something out; if there's one thing Yukihira Sōma excels at, it's getting out of a tight spot."

Alice smiled in response, raising her hand to meet Erina's on her shoulder. She gripped it tightly.

"I hope you're right, Erina." she said. "I really do."

"I know I am." said Erina, with more confidence than she really felt. "Have faith in him."

Alice hummed noncommittally but didn't say anything further. Although she continued to hold Erina's hand, even after she'd let go of her shoulder. The blonde didn't mind, more than happy to be there for her cousin. They stood together, not saying anything. There wasn't anything that needed to be said. Alice needed emotional support and Erina was there to give it.

After a few minutes of warm silence, Alice released Erina's hand. She gave Erina a grin that was a little more reminiscent of her usual.

"Thanks." she said. "I do hope you don't think this means I'll go easy on you in there."

Erina smiled in response to the familiar competitiveness before furrowing her brow.

"You're ten years too early to challenge me." she quipped sarcastically, flicking her hair imperiously and turning her back on her cousin. She couldn't see her but she could practically feel Alice's cheeks puffing up from where she stood.

"You're only four months older than me!" shouted Alice, shaking her fists at Erina.

"I'm talking about the gap in our skills, not our ages." said Erina coolly, shaking her head.

"You really haven't changed at all! Still the same, big headed Erina." said Alice, stomping her foot for dramatic effect. "I can't wait to take a needle and let all of that air out one of these days."

"I welcome the challenge." said Erina, smiling to herself as she marched away "angrily". The soft giggling she could hear from her cousin as she begin speaking to Ryo was like music to her ears.

"So how was she?" asked Megumi as Erina approached. She'd debated going with Erina at first but had decided against it. Sometimes, there were things meant for family and family alone.

"She's…not the best." said Erina, glancing back to where her cousin stood, chatting amiably with Ryo. "She still hasn't heard from Yukihira-kun and the stress is definitely getting to her. I really hope he manages to show up sometime soon, for both their sakes."

Megumi nodded but before she could speak further, the doors at the front of the room opened, admitting the form of one Nakiri Azami. He strode into the room calmly but briskly, not a single hair out of place. The small pockets of conversation in the room died off as the headmaster of Tōtsuki stood at the front of the room.

"Greetings, all." he said. "The task is due to start in fifteen minutes; everything you need to make any of the appetizers on my list will be either at your stations or in the storage containers arranged to the far left of the arena. Feel free to take as much as you need, though I would caution you to not be too overzealous; proper planning is just as much a part of cooking a dish like this as chopping a vegetable or braising a cut of meat and you will be graded as such."

Azami looked out over the crowd, smiling at the arranged students.

"Now, it's time to introduce you to the judges for the third trial. I've departed from convention with my choice, I will admit. Firstly, there will only be two judges for today's challenge. They will each give you an evaluation of your dish, along with a score based on its culinary merit. This score, combined with the score given by my examiners, will serve as your score for this portion of the Elite Ten Selection. As with Saito-kun's challenge, you won't know your score and it will be added to your previous scores by our administrative team."

Azami clapped his hands together briskly. He noted the small twitch his actions elicited in a particular member of the crowd and his smile grew.

"Secondly, the judges won't follow the typical pattern that you've all become familiar with. As you know, it's almost tradition for Tōtsuki to have judges from within the upper echelons of the culinary world. Be they alumni, company owners or prestigious culinary family heads. We have no shortage of renowned men and women eager to assist in advancing the next generation of Tōtsuki students; such is our prestige."

Azami clapped a second time, firmly. The sound echoed in the quiet room, resounding off of the walls.

"Erina-chan, are you alright?"

Even though it was whispered softly, Azami heard the inquiry clear as day. He looked to his daughter, who had her head down. He could see her holding another girl's hand with both of hers in a white knuckled grip. He didn't address it; he simply continued speaking.

"For this trial, I thought it more important than ever that you be judged by the very best the culinary world has to offer. This is why the trial itself is so simple and straightforward; you all will have your hands full contending with the judges I have chosen for you. Established restaurants with years of tradition have been felled in one swoop of their tongues and I expect them to be no less stringent when dealing with those that would compete to be the next Elite Ten."

Azami clapped a third and final time.

"Erina-chan!"

He saw his daughter fall to her knees, shaking. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she was deaf to the blue haired girl's calls. Those around her were now turning to face her with looks of concern, and questions.

"Erina-san? Are you alright?"

"Nakiri-san's shaking, what's wrong?"

" _ **Zweite.**_ "

Azami spoke the word firmly but softly, projecting his voice with force. His utterance went unnoticed by most, preoccupied as they were in crowding around his daughter. He thought he saw a pair of sunglasses turn to face him in response but he ignored them; he was focused on watching Erina through the gaps in the crowd around her. He watched as her shoulders began to shake even more violently, startling the crowd around her further.

He watched as they continued to badger and question her; unmoved. He saw as the shaking started to subside and her hands began to still. He watched as she stood to her feet, ignoring those that even now inquired after her health. Her chin came up and he saw her eyes pan the room dispassionately before settling on him.

He couldn't keep the warm smile off of his face. He raised one hand, gesturing towards her. He began to speak again, raising his voice over the din of conversation that had developed.

"Without further ado, I present to you your first judge. Heir to the cooking world's most prestigious lineage and possessor of the world's most divine palate; Nakiri Erina. Come and stand with me, daughter."

Erina began walking forward but found her progress stalled by the hand gripping hers. Her eyes moved to the blue haired girl's.

"Please release me." she asked.

The girl shook her head, stubbornly keeping hold of Erina's hand. She raised it and drew something into it with her finger, whispering words that Azami couldn't catch. Erina looked down at her hand before looking back up at the girl.

"Please release me, miss. Otou-sama needs me." she said simply, clinically. Azami felt his smile grow at the deference in her tone. He'd missed his daughter; his real daughter. It had really been too long.

When the blue haired girl showed no sign of releasing Erina's hand, Azami cleared his throat pointedly.

"Tadokoro-san, would you be so kind as to let go of my daughter's hand?"

Azami's tone made it clear that his request was no request at all. The girl bit her lip, looking anxiously at Erina. She released Erina's hand but she spoke again, the words tumbling out of her mouth.

"Erina-chan. Please. You don't have to do this." she said quietly.

"You're right. She doesn't." said Azami kindly. "I would never force my daughter to do something she didn't want to. Erina, if you so choose, you're free to stay where you are. You are in no way obligated to assist me."

Erina looked at him for several measured seconds before looking back at Megumi. Without a word, she turned and walked towards Azami, taking her place at his left side. Azami beamed down at her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Your assistance is most appreciated, Erina."

"It's no trouble, Otou-sama." she responded levelly.

Azami looked back to the crowd of students, who were now eyeing him warily. They weren't ignorant to what had just occurred; it was no secret that there was a divide between Azami and his daughter. No one dared bring it up within earshot but Azami knew that it was common knowledge. In the months following his assertion of control over Tōtsuki, Erina had made it clear she stood in opposition to him even if she wasn't as vocal as some of his other detractors.

To see her standing at his side, obedient and supportive, was jarring to all in the room with the exception of Azami, who was simply happy his daughter had come to her senses.

"Erina will be exempt from being scored for this portion of the Elite Ten trial; this does not mean she automatically receives full points; it simply means where the rest of you will be judged out of one hundred points, she will be judged out of eighty. This is also how it will work for the second judge I have chosen for you, as he too is part of the Elite Ten Selection process this year."

Azami gestured towards the door.

"Yukihira Sōma is already in his place at the judging table. Why don't you go and join him, Erina?"

Erina nodded her assent before turning and leaving through the door Azami had indicated.

"While Sōma-kun's palate is much…shall we say, _newer_ , it is on a level comparable to Erina's. He's been employed as the Nakiri family's official food critic for months and his work has been exemplary; I have the utmost faith in his abilities."

Azami shook his head, chuckling bemusedly.

"It's quite remarkable what the right training and mind set can do, even on someone as low class and talentless as Yukihira Sōma. Simply remarkable."

Azami turned and gestured for the students to follow him. He led them through the double doors into the adjoining kitchens, urging them to choose stations at their leisure. Erina and Sōma were sat at the front of the kitchen block; they each held clipboards in their hands and were talking in soft voices with each other. As Azami approached, they fell silent.

"Are you both ready?" he asked.

They nodded in eerie, robotic unison.

"Wonderful." said Azami, looking at his watch. He nodded to the examiner that stood at the front of the room, who nodded back in confirmation. Azami looked out to the Tōtsuki students prepping their stations. His eyes lingered briefly on those he'd mentally labelled as "problem children".

His niece was talking in urgent tones to Saito's nominee, waving her hands frantically. The blonde girl nodded back worriedly, more reserved but no less concerned.

The Italian twins were going over their tools; the blonde was rubbing a cloth over a broad bladed tool that Azami recognized as a mezzaluna. It had been years since he'd seen one outside of Italy.

The winner of the autumn elections was calmly sorting through a veritable hoard of what appeared to be unlabelled, black bottles. Azami recognized them as the standard containers for the Shiomi seminar. He felt a brief flicker of irritation at the sight. He'd made it clear to Sōma that he'd expected the seminar to be summarily shut down but he'd allowed himself to be swayed by the boy's argument at the time and its dissolution had been pushed aside in lieu of more important things.

He was beginning to lament allowing Sōma to run unfettered for so long; clearly he'd been busy in that time. It had taken all week to reassert his hold over the youth, let alone get anything useful from him.

He glanced at his watch before giving the examiner another nod. The man threw his hand into the air.

"You may begin!" he proclaimed, just as the clock in the room struck ten.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Terrible. The crab is completely overpowered by the cucumbers flavour. You erred in the pickling process; in a true _Crab and malt,_ the crab is the focus of this dish; the rest of the ingredients are there to complement it." said Erina disdainfully, pushing the plate away from her.

"In addition, your presentation is sloppy." said Sōma critically, eyeing his mostly untouched plate.

To an observer, the plate was beautifully presented. The colours were aesthetically pleasing, the vegetables and meat were arranged well and it smelt amazing. It almost looked like a painting more than it looked like food.

Sōma pointed at the arrangement of sliced cucumbers.

"Your pieces are chopped unevenly. The difference is slight but noticeable and your food isn't good enough to camouflage that."

The student bowed his head under the collective weight of their gaze.

"You're free to leave, Amanu-san." said Erina, looking away.

He nodded meekly, leaving immediately through the large double doors Sōma directed him towards. There were no spectator stands set up for this challenge. Once the judging was over, the students were expected to leave. Those not participating in the exam watched the action from afar, through the cameras Azami had placed beforehand.

"Another waste of time." commented Erina, idly looking out over the cooking students.

"Agreed." said Sōma dispassionately.

"By the way, it's good to see that you are well, Yukihira-san." said Erina flatly.

"Is it now?" asked Sōma. "Why exactly is that?"

Erina didn't respond. She opened her mouth halfway but paused. She didn't truly know why she'd said what she'd said. It had just come up, an unbidden and half formed thought along with a group of feelings she didn't understand.

"Azami-sama thought it best if I remained out of contact." continued Sōma once it was clear that Erina wasn't going to speak. He idly noted, but ignored, the red eyed glances he kept receiving from the kitchen station nearest to him. "I needed time to acclimate myself to being in his service once again."

"I understand." said Erina. "I too need to acclimate myself to…to..."

Sōma's eyebrow quirked and he looked over at Erina, who was emptily staring down at her hands.

"My apologies, Yukihira-san. I'm feeling rather odd today, it seems."

"I suppose that's not very surprising." said Sōma. If he was fazed by the comment, it didn't show in his demeanour. "It's been years since your conditioning, after all. Some change isn't completely unexpected after being buried for so long."

"Buried?" questioned Erina, looking over at Sōma. "What do you mean by that, Yukihira-san?"

"I suppose you were rather young; it's understandable that Azami-sama wouldn't have explained the nuances of your treatment to you."

Sōma looked around, taking in the working chefs with a critical eye. He swept his gaze over the room, noting the various stages of preparation that each of the participants were at and what this said about the dish they were attempting to create. He individually assessed each one, running the numbers in his head and glancing at his watch. There wouldn't be anyone prepared for judgement for the next several minutes, unless someone made a critical misstep in their dish's preparation. He was sure the examiners would catch and remove anyone that foolish before they even made it halfway to the judges' table. Thus, Sōma concluded that he had the time to explain exactly what he meant to Erina

This litany of assessment, evaluation and calculation took Sōma exactly eleven seconds.

He looked to Erina, who was still looking at him expectantly, her purple eyes hollow.

"As you know, Azami-sama chose to attend university after graduating from Tōtsuki." said Sōma.

"Yes. He attended Osaka University, where he graduated with a double major in business and psychology." said Erina promptly, as if she was reciting from a textbook.

"Correct. As part of that program, he spent time in Germany on a fellowship, where he studied conditioning techniques as part of his course work. He became particularly interested in the work of a psychologist known as Franz Krause. He was known for his work with the human mind and the ability for it to be influenced and manipulated by application of external stimuli under stress. Most of his research didn't gain traction, as many deemed it unethical and a violation of basic human rights. Brainwashing, some called it."

Sōma snapped his fingers absently.

"Azami didn't let the censorship stop him; he was able to find some of Krause's lost work and recreate its effects. He worked on refining the research and putting it to his own use. It took him the bulk of his time in Germany to fully complete it but he was pleased with the results. He used some of what he learnt on you, when you were a child."

Erina didn't seem bothered by the revelation that her father had used controversial, mind altering research on her. She simply continued listening to Sōma speak.

"Azami didn't need to refine your tongue; it was already perfect. He needed to refine **you**. You were still too immature, too childish and too free spirited for what he sought for you to become and so he took steps to change that. He wanted to mould you into the perfect representation of his desires for the cooking world. And to do that, he needed to ensure you would listen to him and him alone. He couldn't afford for you to be tainted by outside perspectives; lesser perspectives. Thus the need to bury you." said Sōma.

"I…I still don't understand." said Erina, blinking.

"How old are you, Erina?" asked Sōma, watching as another chef began to approach the completion of their dish. He recognized him as Kurokiba Ryo; someone Azami had labelled as an issue, more for his deference to Alice than anything else.

"I'm fi-…no, I'm sixt-…"

Erina stopped, nonplussed. Her expression didn't change but it was clear she was confused.

"You're trying to decide whether you're five or sixteen." said Sōma. "You…this shell that Azami's cultured in you and buried hasn't seen the light of day since he left over a decade ago. Trying to reconcile it with who you've been for all of the time between will be challenging."

Erina looked down at her hands again. She realized why they felt so uncomfortable; they seemed too large. They felt completely natural but, when she looked at them, they also looked like the hands of someone else; the hands of an adult. Not the child she thought she was. She'd been asleep for so long and then to suddenly just wake up in that classroom, surrounded by unfamiliar yet familiar people…it was more than a little jarring. She'd been relieved to find her father there, waiting with open arms.

"Ah, Kurokiba-san. I see you've prepared an oyster dish for us." said Sōma, turning his attention away from Erina to watch Ryo approach their table.

"Yup. Grilled Oysters with Ättika." he said dully, placing the plates before them. His bandanna was tied firmly around his wrist, the berserker gone and hidden now that his job was over.

Sōma picked up an oyster by its steaming shell, idly noting the heat on his fingers. It would've been too hot to the touch for someone that wasn't as used to pain as he was. He used a small fork to extract the meat, placing it into his mouth.

He closed his eyes, stilling. A beat passed before his eyes opened and he looked at Ryo critically.

"An admirable effort. One of the best we've seen thus far, though I've noted a number of flaws, mostly minor and of no significant note. Your choice in vinegars was passable but ultimately could've been better; I assume there wasn't time to procure a more authentic Ättika directly from Europe?"

Ryo nodded, yawning as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"Yup. A week's not enough time, really. Anything I got here that quick would've been subpar; not worth the trouble or expense."

"A fair argument." said Sōma. He took another shell into his hands, plucking the meat from it and taking another bite. "The slight dash of garlic you added also heightens the oyster's flavour as well; it works with its inherent saltiness. A simple dish but the skill with which you executed it is clear."

Sōma picked up his pen, marking down notes to that effect on his clipboard.

"Do you have anything to add, Erina?" he asked. Ryo showed no reaction to the overly familiar form of address.

The honey blonde haired girl was chewing thoughtfully on her first oyster; she'd waited for it to cool further before attempting to taste it. She swallowed and nodded thoughtfully.

"I agree with Yukihira-san's initial assessment, though I believe he was remiss in approving your usage of garlic. While slight, it did outbalance the natural flavour of the oysters. Still noteworthy but an error that you would be wise to avoid in the future, Kurokiba-san."

"Roger." he said, giving a lazy salute. "Anything else? Or can I leave?"

"You're free to go, Kurokiba-san."

"Great." he said. He moved to walk away but paused before he'd made it more than a few steps.

"By the way. Yukihira?"

Sōma looked over at Ryo, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, Kurokiba-san?" he replied softly. Their eyes met and whatever Ryo saw in Sōma's caused him to sigh and shake his head.

"Forget about it."

He continued walking away, exiting the room. Sōma watched him leave, wondering at the oddity. It was rare for Ryo to do anything without purpose; he was simply too uninterested for that. But Sōma didn't have time to contemplate it further; the next participant had already stepped up to be judged.

"Ah, Tadokoro-san. What have you prepared for us?" asked Sōma.

Megumi was holding two platters in her hands. Her head was down, her bangs covering her face and leaving her eyes in shadow. Her lips were pursed tightly and she placed the plates before Sōma and Erina before stepping back and clasping her hands. She didn't speak.

Several seconds passed before Sōma spoke again.

"Tadokoro-san?"

At the clinical address, Megumi flinched but she still didn't speak. When it was clear she was going to remain silent, Sōma turned his attention to the platter and uncovered it. He eyed the contents, humming thoughtfully.

"I see you've prepared a seafood appetizer for us as well, Tadokoro-san. A _hamachi_ based ceviche, if I'm not mistaken."

Sōma tried it, chewing as his tongue went to work, each part of the dish passing over it and being evaluated critically. He tasted several things; most prominent among them mint and grapefruit flavourings, alongside the yellowtail's freshness.

"The mint and grapefruit give the dish a brisk and refreshing taste." said Sōma. "The onion's flavour along with the chili peppers' spiciness interacts rather well; the meat of the tuna you used is also quite sweet, indicative of a fresh, juvenile specimen. A commendable dish, worthy of any traditional Japanese restaurant, I would say. What say you, Erina?"

Sōma turned to face Erina, who was staring down at her plate, frozen. The look on her face was still one of emptiness but Sōma could see the apprehension in her bearing; not quite fear but something approaching it.

"You should try it, Erina-chan."

Sōma glanced to the side to see Megumi, who had raised her head to look directly at Erina. She had a determined expression on her face.

"It's really good. I made it just for you."

Sōma arched his eyebrow at the words; moreso due to the intent with which the blue haired girl said them. However he refrained from commenting and simply watched as Erina picked up a piece of meat and placed it into her mouth before biting down.

XXXXXXXXXX

Darkness. Complete darkness surrounded them both. The two girls were across from each other, perfectly visible despite the sheer blackness of their surroundings. Megumi looked at Erina, her face near tears.

 _Erina-chan…_

The blonde girl was sat on the floor, her feet tucked underneath her. She leaned against the bars of a gilded cage that completely surrounded her. There was no door, no lock, no key. It was a seamless construction of metal imprisoning her within its solid steel bars. The expression on her face was listless and defeated. Megumi recognized it; it was like the expression she'd first worn on that night when, all those months ago, Alice had "kidnapped" Erina and she'd found them stuck in the rain.

 _Erina-chan…_

Megumi knelt in front of the cage, reaching out to hesitantly touch one of the bars. Her fingers passed through it as if it wasn't even there. She continued reaching forward until her hand found its way to Erina's and she gripped her hand firmly. Erina didn't stir or move in response.

 _I'm here for you. I promise I will never leave you alone again._

Erina's hand twitched and her fingers moved, barely encircling Megumi's. Her dull purple eyes moved to focus on Megumi's bright golden ones. Megumi stared right back, her expression earnest and warm.

 _I love you, Erina-chan. Do you understand me?_

Megumi felt the grip on her fingers tighten, ever so slightly. She smiled softly, reaching her other hand forward to trace a symbol into Erina's open palm.

 _You are so much stronger now._

Erina's grip tightened further and her dull eyes began to regain some of their former life. She raised her free hand and reached forward to try and touch Megumi's forearm.

 _Yes. Fight for yourself, Erina-chan. Fight for your freedom._

Erina's hand met the metal of the cage and, unlike Megumi, didn't move any further. The metal was solid and unyielding. Erina stilled, looking down at where her fingers were splayed across the metal bar. Without warning, her hands fell, lifeless and her eyes lost what little shine they'd begun to develop. Megumi gasped but, before she could react, she found herself an immeasurable distance from Erina's cage. Someone stood in front of her, barring her way; a person that hadn't been present before.

The features were very familiar but the way they were displayed and arranged was quite different. Shorter hair, rounder cheeks, a pudgier but smaller frame. The same purple eyes and honey blonde hair, though noticeably lighter in its shade.

This person was undoubtedly Nakiri Erina but it was a Nakiri Erina younger than Megumi had ever seen. She couldn't have been more than five years old. Thick manacles attached to chains that spiralled off into the darkness were clasped around her neck, hands and feet. Like the cage, there was no lock or key for these restraints.

The child was glaring at Megumi, her fists balled up and shaking in rage. The chains trailing from her wrists and ankles were vibrating with tension; they would've been clinking audibly if proper sound existed in this place.

 _You shouldn't be here; only Otou-sama is allowed here. You have no place here._ _ **LEAVE!**_

XXXXXXXX

Erina looked up coolly from her clean plate, placing her fork down to rest atop it.

"A job well done, Tadokoro-san. The yellowtail is quite fresh, as Yukihira-san mentioned. Your bold use of sweetness with the fruits you selected clashes somewhat with the strong flavouring found elsewhere in your dish but the effect is mostly harmonious. A truly excellent showing."

Megumi didn't smile at the praise; she simply bit her lip and continued looking towards Erina.

"Is that all, Erina-chan? Is there nothing else you have to say about my dish?" she asked.

"Well, the mint leaves you used weren't freshly picked; they were clearly packaged leaves as opposed to freshly bundled leaves, though that did little to detract from your dish. The grapefruit could have been slightly fresher as well but it would be unreasonable for me to expect you to have every single ingredient at its optimal freshness. You prioritized the yellowtail's freshness, as you should've."

Erina leaned back, folding her arms. The smile she gave Megumi was perfectly polite and also perfectly empty.

"Good work. That's all I have to say, I suppose."

Megumi frowned noticeably but didn't speak further. She simply bowed politely and left the stage. Erina watched her walk away, wondering why the sight of the girl's turned back made her feel… _something_. Something unpleasant. She didn't want her to leave but she wasn't sure why; she couldn't ask the girl to stay for no reason. Otou-sama wouldn't be pleased by the disruption.

The thought of her father caused all others to leave her mind.

Yes, he wouldn't be pleased. So she would let the girl walk away. Even if some part of her rebelled at the prospect.

Erina looked up as she noted another participant coming forward. One she recognized.

"Alice."

The white haired girl continued walking up towards the judging table; two platters effortlessly balanced on the crook of her left elbow.

"And just what have you prepared for us today?" asked Sōma, nodding at the white haired girl. She glared at him in response.

"Sōma-kun." she said coldly, pointedly turning her head away from him. "Where have you been all week?"

"Ah, my apologies." said Sōma with an embarrassed smile. "I was simply attending to Azami-sama. He needed my assistance for the preparation of the third task and I didn't have much time to spare for…frivolities, as it were. I'm sorry if I worried you."

"What a crock of shit." bit out Alice, the profanity startling Erina. Her cousin wasn't supposed to use bad words. Neither of them were. It wasn't allowed. They could get in trouble.

Alice returned her gaze to Sōma's, her expression anything other than cool.

"Excuse me?" said Sōma calmly, tilting his head.

"I'm not interested in whatever polite excuses he's making you give out. I know you, Sōma-kun. You wouldn't just disappear like that. Tell me the truth." said Alice. Her red eyes were alight with anger.

"I'm afraid I am, Alice." said Sōma genially. "Once again, I'm sorry for any undue stress I may have caused you."

Alice narrowed her eyes at Sōma before looking over at Erina. Her gaze softened.

"Are you alright, Erina?" she asked.

"Yes, I am well, Alice. Thank you for your concern." said Erina lowly, averting her eyes from Alice's. The warm sincerity in them was off-putting to her for some reason she couldn't place.

"Are you sure? Things don't exactly seem…normal with you." she said carefully, watching her cousin closely.

"Yes, everything's fine. Otou-sama needed me and I decided that it was my duty as his daughter to assist him, that's all. There's no need to concern yourself." said Erina calmly. "I have heard that Otou-sama has been letting me do what I want for some time now; I can hardly begrudge him for wanting me back at his side. I'm sure he missed me very much."

"I'm sure he did." said Alice evenly. The odd wording, along with Erina's expression, caused alarm bells to ring in the back of Alice's mind but this wasn't the time or place to address such things. She frowned softly but resolved herself to wait for a better moment to get her cousin alone; something wasn't right.

Alice placed the platters in front of the two judges before stepping back with a small bow. "For my dish, I've prepared a creamy Kuzu Parmesan Gnocchi, nestled in Pea water."

"I presume you used a centrifuge to prepare the pea water beforehand?" asked Sōma, lifting one of the dumplings onto a spoon. He examined the dumpling closely, noting the rich colour and solid consistency.

"Yes. The process takes several hours. I filed the appropriate notice with the examiners and got prior approval to do so."

"Excellent." said Sōma. He leaned forward, placing the spoon into his mouth. He started to chew thoughtfully, his eyes closed as he tasted the dish. The smooth flavour of the Kuzu was carried well in the full bodied taste of the parmesan cheese. He noted the fine balance of seasonings, identifying exactly which brands of salt were used. It seemed Alice had gone for a mixed batch, as opposed to using a single one.

He opened his eyes to comment on this but found that Alice had already begun walking away.

"Alice?"

Alice paused in her stride.

"I still get my points whether I stay and listen to your judgement, right Sōma-kun?"

Sōma blinked in confusion before nodding slowly.

"That's correct. The dish has been made and presented. There is, strictly speaking, no further reason for you to stay."

"Good. Because if I had to suffer through one more fake polite word from you, I was going to scream. So I'm headed home to catch up on some of the sleep I missed because of you. Is that alright?"

The statement was delivered with almost acidic sweetness and the question at its end couldn't have been anything other than rhetorical. Alice continued walking away, ignoring the soft conversation that sprung up between her cousin and the Yukihira chef.

She resisted the urge to dance and skip as she walked down the stage's steps and towards the door. She also struggled to ensure her smile stayed small and self-contained; it wouldn't do to lose control when so many unfriendly eyes were around.

She'd been so worried and concerned; she'd known that Sōma hadn't really tested himself against Azami in the months since he'd first returned to Tōtsuki. He'd freely admitted that he had no idea how he would react if Azami tried to assert control over him like he once had. After each new day of no contact from him, she'd become sure that he'd fallen back under Azami's sway. She'd been almost certain that, when next she saw him, he would be little more than an empty shell following Azami's every command.

And that's certainly what he looked like. Sōma was an amazing actor. She'd almost been convinced. But then he said her name.

Alice.

No Alice-san or Nakiri-sama or any other formal, distant form of address. She'd looked at him and, in his eyes, saw something familiar. Something she would've missed if she hadn't been looking for it.

And then she knew. She knew Sōma, _her_ Sōma, was by no means gone. The rules of the game had simply changed, as he'd warned her they might. Now she'd simply have to wait on the sidelines as Sōma continued on his own. At least for now. Her stomach churned as she thought about just what that could mean, knowing what she knew of what Azami had done to Sōma before.

But she had faith in him. He would see this through and, when the dust settled, they would be rid of Nakiri Azami, once and for all.

XXXXXXX

"I trust everything went well, Sōma-kun?" asked Azami. He was seated across from Sōma in the backseat of his personal car. The dimness of the evening outside was contrasted by the brightly lit interior of the car. Azami's chin was resting on a gloved fist as he considered the stoic redhead before him.

"Indeed, Azami-sama. Erina-sama seemed to be adjusting well to the changes. There's obviously more refining that needs to take place but I am confident it's nothing beyond your ability to handle." Said Sōma. His shoulders were straight and his hands rested on his lap, folded.

Azami hummed but didn't say anything further. He simply looked at the younger chef. Sōma didn't react; he simply continued sitting silently. The silence in the car couldn't be called heavy but it also wasn't light either. It was as neutral and placid as the expressions they both wore; Azami's one of false, empty sincerity and Sōma's one of simple emptiness.

After several minutes, the car gently pulled to a stop in front of the Nakiri manor. Sōma waited but Azami simply gestured to the door with his hand.

"Go, Sōma-kun. I have other matters to attend to. I won't require your services for the rest of the night." He stated.

"As you wish, Azami-sama." Said Sōma, bowing his head. He maintained his strict, rigid posture as he climbed out of the car and shut the door. His back was perfectly straight as he walked into the manor, its hallways empty. He paused briefly at the painting of a blonde haired woman in a yellow dress but he continued on.

His steps were even and perfectly measured as he approached the door to his room. He entered it, smoothly shutting the door behind him. With one smooth motion, he locked it before leaning against it and taking one deep breath.

He opened his eyes.

"It wasn't much."

And then he smirked.

XXXXXXX

 **A/N: Another chap down. Woohoo! So some sorta-important stuff happened here. Things are getting tense. Erina's back in her cage, the third task is over and Sōma's once again been brought to heel at Azami's side. I didn't really bother going into detail about it because it's just appetizers and I also don't want us to get bogged down. The story needs to progress. We got two more tasks and a bunch of other stuff that needs to be resolved. So marching onwards! See you guys soon.**


	28. Chapter 27

The tension in the car was thick and heavy.

Sōma sat across from Azami, arms folded. The older man was idly flipping through a folder in his lap. The large red splotch on his cheek that was the evidence of Sōma's punch stood out brightly on his pale skin. He seemed unconcerned with Sōma's presence, despite being the one that had requested for the young man to join him for the drive.

"So what exactly did you have in mind, Nakiri-san?" asked Sōma conversationally. "Or was the way out you mentioned a lie?"

Azami didn't reply to Sōma's query promptly. He waited, letting just enough time pass to demonstrate that he could and would answer on his own time. Finally he looked up and the smile he gave Sōma was cool and detached.

"Your father is one Saiba Joichiro, correct?" asked Azami.

"Yukihira Joichiro, actually." said Sōma. "Pops hasn't been a Saiba for years."

"Ah, my apologies." said Azami, sounding not at all apologetic. "I knew your father in school, you see. We were good friends for many years. I haven't had any luck in getting in touch with him recently though; I was looking forward to offering him a teaching position at Tōtsuki now that I'm the Director. His particular brand of genius could be of much use to the future of Japan's culinary world."

"If you know my dad at all, you'd know he has no interest in being a teacher. The old man gets stir crazy if he sits in one spot for too long." said Sōma.

"Ah, yes. I'd heard. He wasn't always like that, you know. The Saiba-senpai I knew was…different. He was focused, driven and passionate. He had exacting standards that few could hope to meet and those that couldn't were hard pressed to receive so much as the time of day from him." said Azami, almost wistful.

"Yea, Dad was a bit of a jerk in school. Or so he tells me." said Sōma, shrugging. "He's mellowed out a lot since then."

"Mellowed out is a euphemism for became lazy." said Azami calmly. "I seek to reignite the passion that sits just beneath your father's skin, Sōma-kun."

Sōma arched an eyebrow, the question clear in his expression.

"All I require is for you to procure me a meeting with Saiba-senpai. If you are able to do that for me, then I will consider tonight's incidents forgiven and forgotten." said Azami simply. "If you cannot, I will file charges with the police immediately."

"That sounds a bit like blackmail, Nakiri-san." said Sōma curtly.

"That's because it is." said Azami bluntly. "I detest such ham fisted methods of dealing with people but I've found that simpler is better when it comes to dealing with Yukihiras."

Sōma shrugged.

"We're not ones for subtlety." he admitted. "So that's it? A phone call with Pops and I'm off the hook?"

"No. I require a face to face meeting." said Azami. "Anytime within the next week will do. And please let him know that I'll be happy to take care of the expenses for any travel arrangements he would need to make."

"That may not work. He could be anywhere in the world by now. We'd be lucky if he even had cell service." said Sōma.

Azami tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"I see. My apologies, Sōma-kun. It seems that I haven't made myself very clear."

Azami closed the folder in his lap, placing it to the side before leaning forward. He clasped his hands before him and set the full weight of his gaze on Sōma. His very presence seemed to loom forwards and fill the entire space in front of the redhead.

"I am not asking you anything, Yukihira Sōma. I am telling you. If I am unable to meet with your father in person at any point over the next week, I will report your assault to the police. I have over half a dozen witnesses to corroborate my account and I assure you that this bruise will be no less faded in that time. I will do my endeavour best to ensure you are punished to the full extent of the Japanese law, minor or no."

Azami continued glaring at Sōma, who had stilled under his gaze. The boy didn't appear frightened but he also didn't appear completely comfortable either.

Suddenly the atmosphere shifted and Azami leaned back once more, picking up the folder and opening it once again, his eyes moving from Sōma's to glance down at the page.

"Was that clear enough for you, Sōma-kun?" he asked mildly.

Sōma continued looking evenly at Azami from across the town car's seat. He resisted the urge to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Crystal."

* * *

"No way in hell, Nakamura."

Joichiro's normally jovial face was set in stone. He sat across from Azami at a table in the Yukihira diner. His casual slouch and stained chef's uniform was sharply contrasted by Azami's straight backed posture and expensive attire.

The diner's doors were closed and the shutters drawn, business hours long past. The soft noises of pans clinking against each other and running water emanated from the kitchen where Sōma was washing up.

Azami didn't seem perturbed by Joichiro's denial.

"Is there nothing I could say to make you reconsider?" he asked, spreading his hands wide. "I assure you, there are few things beyond my reach. And it goes without saying that money is no object."

"My answer's still no. I'm not coming to teach at Tōtsuki, no matter how much yen you wave under my nose." he said firmly.

"I assumed as much. That's why I'm pleased I came prepared with a counter offer."

Joichiro narrowed his eyes at the words, more so because of the self-satisfied tone with which they were said.

"I believe it would be best if Sōma-kun could join us for this." said Azami genially. "We can wait until he's done in the kitchen, of course."

Joichiro grunted but didn't say anything further. The two men sat in silence. For several minutes, the sound of Sōma's cleaning were the only sounds in the diner.

"What happened to you Nakamura?" blurted out Joichiro, his tone equal parts angry and remorseful.

Azami placed a hand under his chin, tilting his head slightly.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." he said.

"Yes you do. You changed, all those years ago. You weren't always like this. Sure, you were quiet and you coulda benefited from having a bit more backbone but you were kind, once. Not the fuzziest by any means but you had a good heart under that introverted spirit of yours." said Joichiro, his eyes locked onto Azami's, searching for something that wasn't there any longer.

"And you were once a driven, determined chef set to change the world. Now you run a special of the day diner, serving 500 yen meals." said Azami without reproach, his gaze unwavering. "Change is a part of life, Saiba-senpai. We all do it. Some for the better and some for the worse. I simply chose to become what Japan needs me to be, lest we fall even further sway to the mediocre joke that is the current state of our country's cuisine."

"The arrogance." scoffed Joichiro. "That's another new trait you could've done without. You were confident before, especially once you joined the Elite Ten but this level of conceit is on an entirely different level, Nakamura."

"I really would much rather you call me by my actual name, Saiba-senpai." said Azami. The subtle upturning of his lips showed that he grasped the irony of his statement. "After all, it's thanks to you that I was able to acquire it in the first place."

Joichiro's eyes narrowed further and, when he spoke, his voice was almost a growl.

"You didn't deserve to lick her boots."

"I can assure you I did much more than that." said Azami, smirking. He glanced meaningfully over at the red head in the kitchen. "You were married, once. You should know all too well what that entails."

Joichiro's nostrils flared but that was the only visible reaction he had to the gibe. He clenched his jaw tightly; the pain and tension helping him to focus past the sudden burst of anger. Before he could think of a response that didn't involve one of them paying a visit to the hospital, Sōma arrived and sat at the table with them, drying his hands.

"So has everything been hashed out between you two?" asked Sōma drily, the tension between the older men practically visible.

"Actually, your father turned me down. As expected. I haven't proposed my counter offer yet, as it involves yourself." said Azami. "I feel we would do a much job of explaining things as a team. After all, if Saiba-senpai accepts, we'll be working together for quite some time. What better time to start than now?"

Sōma didn't smile in response to Azami's overture. He simply turned to face his father, who was looking back at his son stonily. The dark haired man's words had prompted more than a little alarm in Joichiro.

"Just what have you done, Sōma?" he asked softly, insistently.

"Nothing yet. And it will amount to nothing entirely unless you help me." said Sōma. "Nakiri-san and I have worked out a deal of sorts. If you come to teach at Tōtsuki, he'll leave Erina alone."

Joichiro arched an eyebrow, glancing over at Azami, who had the same placid smile on his face that perfectly hid what he was thinking.

"I'm assuming it's a little more complicated than that." said Joichiro warily. "If it isn't, give me a pen and I'll sign on the dotted line right now."

"Perceptive as always, Saiba-senpai." said Azami. "Indeed, it's not quite as clear cut as Sōma-kun makes it out to be. For one thing, "leave alone" is an understatement. I've agreed to not say so much as a single word to my daughter, unless she approaches me of course, until your tenure as a teacher is complete. And in exchange, I **will** be receiving Sōma-kun as a…replacement, of sorts."

Joichiro stilled. He didn't look at Azami. He simply looked at his hands which were folded on the table before him. When he deigned to speak, his voice was low, cool and dangerous.

"My son isn't an object, Nakamura." he stated. "He's not something to be bargained with and traded like some trinket."

"Forgive me. I suppose I could've phrased things better. Let me try again." said Azami. "As you know, Erina fulfils several important duties as the Nakiri heiress, chief among them being her duty as the God's Tongue. Her food critique skills are second to none and she has used her talent to steer several of Japan's leading restaurants for years. I've already made several promises to aspiring restaurants regarding our food critiquing services and I'm afraid I'm unable to back out of them simply due to a fit of childish pique."

"Pique? That's what you call having a daughter so terrified of you that she willingly left behind everything but the clothes on her back just to get away from you?" asked Joichiro sharply.

Azami shrugged at the rebuke.

"Quite simply, yes. Children often run away from home, though Erina is a bit old to be pulling this sort of stunt, I admit. Be that as it may, I would've had the situation under control in due time had I not been waylaid by your son."

"I wish he'd clocked you harder." said Joichiro, staring at the dim red bruise on Azami's cheek, as if trying to make it worse through sheer willpower alone. Azami simply rolled his eyes in response.

"Regardless, the situation stands. I'm perfectly content with leaving Erina in Polar Star's care if you come to teach for me and if Sōma willingly undergoes the conditioning ne-"

Azami paused, startled as Joichiro suddenly rose to his feet. He slammed his hands on the table, the thud resounding throughout the empty diner. He leaned forward, eyes ablaze as he glared at Azami.

"Get. Out."

Azami blinked, nonplussed.

"I see your son isn't the only one in the family with a flair for the dramatic, Saiba-senpai."

Joichiro leaned further forward, almost nose to nose with the Nakiri patriarch.

"If you think, for one single **second** that I would allow you anywhere near my son's mind then you must be insane. Now get the fuck out of my diner before I put you through the goddamn wall." snarled Joichiro. His classic calmness had completely evaporated and the simmering rage in his eyes was almost tangible.

Azami didn't flinch in response to the older man's anger. He continued to keep his eyes even and locked onto Joichiro's. Pools of unfeeling black meeting golden lakes of fire.

"Pops." said Sōma. Joichiro didn't move his gaze from Azami's. He didn't react at all to Sōma's address.

"Dad, listen. Seriously."

Joichiro's eyes flickered briefly over to Sōma in acknowledgement before going back to glaring at Azami. Sōma sighed, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling. He didn't want to look at his father when he said what he had to.

"I'm doing this whether you come to teach at Tōtsuki or not."

Sōma heard the intake of breath and the rustle of clothing. He could practically feel the weight of his father's gaze on him. He dared not look away from the ceiling lest his resolve falter; he simply continued to speak.

"Whether you come and teach at Tōtsuki or not, I'm going to undergo the conditioning and enter Azami's service as his aide. I'll act as his right hand until I graduate Tōtsuki."

The silence was tense. Sōma felt his neck beginning to ache but he didn't move his gaze from the ceiling. He couldn't look at his father right now; was he shocked? Saddened? Angry? Disappointed?"

"Why, Sōma?"

Two words. Three syllables. And with them, all of Joichiro's bewilderment, disbelief and pain.

"Because…because…"

Sōma gulped, blinking his eyes. He couldn't say it. He couldn't get out the words. He moved his eyes from the ceiling and looked, not to his father, but to Azami, whose hands were folded before his face. He was staring at Sōma with unveiled interest. He saw the plea in Sōma's eyes and briefly toyed with leaving him to fend for himself but decided, in a rare moment of mercy, to intervene.

"He knew that, by sacrificing himself, you would bow to our demands lest his sacrifice be in vain."

Azami's words were delivered coolly. Each more devastating than the last.

"Sōma is mine either way, Saiba-senpai. He's given me his word. It's up to you to dictate what he stands to gain from it."

Azami stood to his feet, straightening his tie.

"Those are the terms, Saiba-senpai. Non-negotiable. Your son made sure of that."

Azami pulled a folder from his jacket, sliding it over to Joichiro.

"Feel free to take the night to think on it. I'll be back in the morning for your answer. Good evening, Saiba-senpai."

Azami strode to the door of the restaurant, exiting it and shutting the door behind him with a soft _snick_.

Joichiro stared down at the seemingly benign folder. He reached out towards it but hesitated, merely letting his hand come to rest on it.

"I can do this, Dad." said Sōma lowly.

"No, you cannot." said Joichiro, matching Sōma's low tone with one of his own. "You've seen what he's capable of, Sōma."

"It doesn't matter. I won't lose. Not over something this important." he insisted.

"Easier said than done, Sōma." said Joichiro. His voice had reverted to the cool, neutral tone he'd initially adopted when he sat down to the table. His inner turmoil was still present in roiling waves behind his eyes.

"I'm not backing down here, Dad. I can't. I've already signed the paper." said Sōma.

"And what exactly was in those papers, Sōma?" asked Joichiro, despite being almost certain he knew.

"The forms. The ones that Katsumi-ba told us about." said Sōma shortly.

Joichiro had expected the response. But, even so, getting the confirmation caused him to scream out and kick. A chair went flying, sailing across the room to smash against the wall. Pieces of wood and fabric went everywhere, littering the right side of the room in debris. Joichiro panted, glaring at the mess of wood and cloth as if each and every piece had personally wronged him.

He screamed again, lashing out and sending a table end over end. It flew against the wall, hitting against it with a sharp crunching sound. It remained intact; if just barely. Joichiro lashed out again, his fist thumping into the wall and tearing straight through the dry wall. He glared at his fist, yanking it from the hole aggressively and ignoring the cloud of dust that erupted as a result.

Joichiro continued staring at the hole he'd made, clenching and unclenching his fists as his breath came in pants. Slowly, his breathing began to even out and he reached back, pulling his hair out of the tail he kept it in. He ran a hand through his hair, turning to face Sōma. Sōma didn't flinch away from the hard eyes of his father.

"Fine. You win." he said. "This better be worth it, Sōma."

"She's family, dad. Of course it is." he insisted.

"I'm not questioning Erina-chan's worth. I'm questioning whether you're able to free her at all. It's one thing to go all in against a certainty; something like Azami leaving the country forever perhaps. Quite another to wager yourself against something so nebulous. You're betting it all against a **maybe**." said Joichiro. "Are you sure you can do it? Can you really free Erina?"

"No." said Sōma, leaning back. "Not on my own, anyway. But I'm sure I can buy enough time for someone else. Several someone else's actually."

Joichiro got the hint immediately.

"Ah. That place." he said, thinking back to days he'd spent within a certain set of walls on Tōtsuki's campus. A building that was so much more than simply a place to rest his head in his high school years. It was a place of camaraderie, warmth and security. A place to grow and develop as people and chefs while still having a chance to cut loose. "So you think that Polar Star will be enough to save Erina-chan?"

Sōma paused very briefly before sighing.

"It'll have to be."

* * *

"What is this place?" asked Sōma, cocking his head to the side. He knew what the Nakiri mansion looked like and this certainly wasn't it.

The building was fairly large but couldn't have been even half the size of the Nakiri family home. Its austere grey façade and large, enclosing walls give it an imposing air, though the statues dotting the property, along with the neatly trimmed hedges and large windows did much to make it seem more like a home; albeit one with the security and privacy of a prison.

A large, wrought iron gate stood before them. A security camera was perched at the top of it while a small keypad and screen were situated on the wall, almost invisible, tucked between the stones of the wall.

Sōma glanced over his shoulder at where he could see Tōtsuki's campus in the distance. He knew they couldn't be more than a few miles from the school but something about this place made those few miles feel much, much longer.

"I suppose you could call this my home away from home." said Azami, striding past Sōma and up to the gate. The car they'd been in drove on past them, following the driveway that curved around the outer wall, out of view. Azami punched in a code, before leaning forward and speaking softly. Sōma couldn't hear what he said but, soon enough, the gate opened of its own accord and Azami gestured him through.

Sōma felt the hairs on his neck prickle, as they did whenever he presented his back to Azami, but he ignored the feeling, walking through the gates and towards the door. He heard the clicking of Azami's shoes on the pavestones behind him and, shortly after, a soft clang as the gate closed behind them.

"This is where I was residing during my absence from Tōtsuki." he explained, his voice almost fond. "I admit though, functioning as a residence isn't this facility's primary function."

The door opened without a sound, gliding smoothly on its hinges as they approached. Sōma walked through and looked around warily, finding himself in a modest sitting room. There were several chairs arranged in neat lines alongside both walls, along with two comfortable arm chairs that sat at the furthest end of the room. Two doors of identical, opulent construction sat on either side of the armchairs.

A tall, broadly built man in serving clothes stood at attention beside an arm chair, directly in front of one of the doors.

"Ah, greetings Tokido. Has the introductory room been prepped?" asked Azami.

The man nodded silently, stepping to the side and gesturing to the closed door.

"Wonderful." said Azami, striding forward. "Come Sōma-kun, there's no time to waste. You have three months to prove yourself to me, after all."

Azami reached for the door knob but paused before turning it.

"I've asked you this previously but, as we soon approach the point of no return, I find myself needing to ask you this one final time; are you absolutely certain that three months is enough time? I've told you that the conditioning itself normally takes place over years. I'm quite certain I could shorten that to…say…eight months if I had a subject that was both willing and talented. Yet you seek to do so in just three?"

"That's correct." said Sōma. "I'm tougher than I look, Azami-san."

"It's not quite a matter of toughness, Sōma-kun." said Azami. "It's a matter of ability. And willingness."

Azami turned suddenly, leaning forward and putting himself almost nose to nose with Sōma. Sōma didn't jump at the sudden movement but his eyes did widen and he only barely resisted the urge to lean back. Azami's eyes were blank, a shark's gaze.

"And you are willing, correct?" said Azami softly, the smile on his face cordial as could be.

"Very much so." said Sōma.

"Wonderful."

Azami turned back around sharply, twisting the door knob and opening the door. He gestured for Sōma to enter before following him inside. The door closed behind them and Sōma heard the lock click into place. He walked down the short hallway, coming to another door. This one was made of metal and was held open by another servant, who nodded at Azami as they both entered the room.

The door shut behind them with a loud clang and the tumble of a lock, leaving them in complete darkness, though not for long.

A single candle flame came to light, bathing the room in dim yellow. The candle sat on a simple wooden table, its weak light revealing several identical plates with identical piles of white powder across one side, a chair sat in front of them. On the other side of the table sat a powered down projector that was pointed at the opposing wall.

Azami stood behind the candle, silhouetted by the light. With his pale skin, dark features and even darker wardrobe, he resembled a ghost more than a man as his form seemed to flicker and dance with the flame's movements.

"We'll start with something simple and work our way up then. This is the salt identification test. Erina passed this test when she was less than half your age." said Azami with something resembling fondness. He patted the wooden chair next to him. "Come now; take a seat Sōma-kun."

Sōma moved to the chair, placing himself in it. He looked over the plates, noting the numbers on the placards attached to each dish before being distracted by Azami gripping his left wrist and beginning to untie the chef's cloth tied there.

"Hey, what are-?"

"Calm yourself Sōma-kun. I need to attach something to your wrist and this cloth would get in the way." Said Azami calmly, pulling the white cloth free.

Sōma eyed the white fabric in Azami's black gloved hands and felt repulsed by the sight. Sōma didn't let anyone touch his chef's cloth, much less someone like Azami.

"Give it back to me, Azami-sama." Said Sōma, holding his hand out beseechingly.

Azami shook his head, placing the cloth on the table.

"Relax, Sōma-kun. I have no desire to take your possessions. You're free to take it with you. But I'm afraid you're unable to continue wearing it the way you have been. To stand at my side means you must respect the rules of decorum and they certainly don't include tattered cloths hanging from your wrist."

Before Sōma could protest further, Azami gripped his wrist firmly, wrapping something around it.

Azami clipped the metal chain shut, tugging at it with his finger to ensure it was secure on Sōma's wrist.

"This is your leash, Sōma-kun." he said simply. "It's going to be an important tool in the days to come.

Azami didn't wait for Sōma to answer; he simply held up a small remote and pressed a button on it.

Sōma wanted to continue arguing, to emphasize just how much he needed that cloth but the sudden sensation on his wrist gave him pause. It felt odd, much like the buzz you got if you touched your tongue to a battery.

"Did you feel anything just now?" he asked.

"A tingle." Sōma said, eyeing the chain on his wrist warily. "Sort of like static electricity."

"Excellent." said Azami. "Now, brace yourself."

Before Sōma could ask what he should be bracing himself for, Azami pressed another button on the remote.

Sōma cried out, his left arm flailing as the chain began to spark with electricity. He felt the nerves in his wrist and forearm begin to flare and lock up in pain and he cried out again, slamming himself into the back of the chair. He struggled to move his left arm; anything to distract from the pain inside of it but the limb refused to budge, macabrely suspended in mid-air by its seizing muscles.

Sōma bit his cheek, desperately sucking air in through his nose and blowing it out between his clenched teeth. The taste of iron in his mouth, along with the flecks of red he could see staining his upper lip, made him aware that he was bleeding. He must have bitten his tongue. Or his lip. He didn't know. He bit whatever it was again as a particularly violent jolt of electricity ran up his arm as his shoulder began to stiffen and lock up as well.

Suddenly, without warning, the chain stopped sparking. Sōma's left arm dropped, hanging and twitching limply as he sat back against the chair, panting. Now that the electricity had stopped, he could feel the intense heat of the chain's links along his wrist. He tried to raise his arm but it flopped uselessly, his muscles spasming painfully with the effort.

Azami began speaking, the voice emanating from behind him and startling Sōma. He'd almost forgotten the man was there.

"That was a medium to moderate setting, Sōma-kun. I did it to give you an example of just what you will face in the coming months. Conditioning, particularly the type of conditioning I employ, requires a special bond; a connection between subject and master. A relationship, if you will. With Erina, the connection was the love we shared. A father-daughter relationship built on mutual care, trust and affection."

Azami chuckled softly, warmly even. The noise echoed in the small room.

"The relationship between you and I is going to be rather different, as you can imagine. I do not have the time nor the inclination to form such a bond with you. So we're going to have to use a different method; one that has proven effective in the past, though I haven't exactly had many opportunities to practice it."

Sōma saw Azami's hand come forward in front of his face. The remote was held inside of it; his thumb over another button. He pressed it and Sōma flinched away, cringing in expectation. But nothing happened other than the remote emitting a soft beep after several seconds of dead silence.

"There. That's it. Embrace that fear, Sōma-kun. It's the start of something special between us."

Azami's voice was low and quiet yet it still managed to echo across the room and resound in Sōma's ears. The gloved hand placed on his shoulder felt far heavier than it had any right to.

"A bond founded on pain and fear is a good substitute for one founded on love. You can trust me on that, Sōma-kun."

* * *

"You want me to what?"

"Was I unclear, Kobayashi-kun?" asked Azami, tilting his head to the side.

"No. I'm just hoping you might reconsider, I guess." said Rindō, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms petulantly. She sat across from Azami's desk in the headmaster's office of Tōtsuki. She'd thought it odd that Azami had insisted on meeting with each of the Elite Ten members individually today.

In the month or so since Eizan's scheme to demolish Polar Star had failed, Azami had been very much under the radar. Rindō saw him shuttling back and forth in his private cars but she rarely saw him on campus. A quick tapping of the Tōtsuki grapevine confirmed that no one else was seeing him either. Something was keeping their headmaster very busy off campus and Rindō had been chomping at the bit to figure out what for a while now.

Now she knew and she wished she'd been kept in the dark. She did her best to avoid work of any kind and it sounded like Azami was trying to dump a whole lot of it into her lap and her lap alone.

"But why me, Azami-sama?" whined Rindō, pouting. "Tsukasa's so much better at this sort of stuff. Just get him to do it."

"Tsukasa's kept more than busy enough with his duties as first seat, especially considering that he's been in charge of the absentee workload as well. Or would you rather I divide those between the both of you somewhat more fairly?" asked Azami with a raised eyebrow.

Rindō weighed the decisions in her mind. She knew from first hand (well, first hand watching anyway) that Tsukasa had been slaving away under his workload recently. He'd been juggling his, Kuga's, Megashima's and Satoshi's duties, along with a healthy helping of Erina's, as the tenth seat wanted nothing to do with her father or his organization.

One mental recollection of Tsukasa's bone weary face at the end of most days was enough for Rindō to perk up and clap her hands.

"Sounds fun, Azami-sama! I'll be sure to make sure the little freshman is up to snuff for his return, alright?"

"See that you do." said Azami. He handed a card to Rindō. "I've taken the liberty of making sure that Tokido is available to you whenever you need to attend to Sōma-kun. Simply call and he will be willing to assist you with anything you need, as long as it pertains to Sōma-kun's advancement. I would also ask that you stay at my facility during this period; your prolonged absence would be much easier explained if you simply weren't here as opposed to being ferried back and forth. My having to do so this past month has been conspicuous enough; we have no need for any… _unpleasant_ elements to get wind of just exactly what's going on. Yet, anyway."

It didn't surprise Rindō that Azami was aware that his absence was neither subtle nor unnoticed. She just wondered if he was really that confident in his position. He'd seen how simple it was ousting Senzaemon. He should have been at least somewhat wary of his own place.

"And so will you be taking a more hands on approach here on campus while I'm away, Azami-sama?" she asked curiously, intent hidden behind her usual veil of cheerful mischief. The brief flicker of Azami's cold smile told her that her intent hadn't been hidden enough but she didn't mind. It had been a matter of politeness rather than caution that led her to hide it in the first place. They both knew the score.

"Not necessarily. There's still much for Sōma-kun to learn at my side. While I may be afforded more time now that he's somewhat amenable, I highly doubt I'll be up to taking a more active role for at least another month. Maybe even longer." He said. "Rest assured; I've made provisions for such a thing. Your classmates will be kept no less busy than you yourself are, though it will be in different ways."

"I see." Said Rindō, leaning back in her chair, draping her arms over the back. "So if you're gonna be teaching him so much, what do you need me for? I'm sure you're a much better chef than I am."

Azami folded his hands before him, eyeing Rindō coolly.

"Don't concern yourself with the details, Kobayashi-kun. Just know that you will be the lead on Sōma's culinary education moving forward. That is all you need to know for now."

Rindō wanted to argue but she could feel a buzz in the back of her mind warning her against it. Azami, for all that he'd needed them to get into the position he was in, was not weak. He was nothing like the sheep she usually toyed with and she kept having to remind herself of that, lest she make a mistake and he pounced.

And that sense of danger simply made her more curious but she restrained herself, affecting an air of reluctant nonchalance. Like a cat that had met its match. She shrugged her shoulders, holding her hands in the air in submission.

"Whatever you say boss. Besides, I'm sure hanging out with the kid will be more fun than being in class anyway. He's pretty feisty."

* * *

"You are…a lot duller then I remember." stated Rindō plainly, sighing and shaking her head.

"My apologies, Kobayashi-sama." said Sōma softly but politely. He stood ramrod straight, his eyes facing forward. Rindō frowned, looking him over from where she sat on the countertop in the main kitchen. It had been days since she'd first moved to the facility (the excuse Azami had given her to use for her prolonged absence was "exotic field trip to parts unknown on the Asian mainland") and, in that time, Sōma hadn't cracked even once.

He'd been polite, respectful and courteous to a fault. He'd held doors and waited for her to be seated before sitting himself. He hadn't so much as raised his voice in any way since she arrived. Basically he'd been about as emotive and lively as a can of paint and Rindō was having to restrain herself from grabbing him and shaking him much as she would a can of paint.

Rindō sighed to herself again, pouting. She'd been so excited too; she knew Sōma had potential. Real potential. And she needed somebody new for Azami to fight against; it seemed Senzaemon had abdicated with nary a whimper, something she hadn't foreseen. It had been weeks since anyone had even heard any news about the old man, let alone seen him.

It wasn't as if she cared if the old geezer stayed or left but she'd at least been hoping he put up a good fight. A conflict between Azami and Senzaemon; the Demon King of Food against the black sheep of the Nakiri family; the man they called the Enterprise of the Culinary World. It should've been an amazing struggle. It should've heralded months of turmoil as Senzaemon petitioned the administration board or dug for loopholes in Tōtsuki's bylaws or challenged Azami to the shokugeki to end all shokugekis!

Instead it had taken Azami all of 24 hours to completely erase Senzaemon's presence from Tōtsuki. And the only ones left in the way of his perfect vision were a group of ragtag first years along with a few of her more errant underclassmen. That wouldn't do. Azami had all of the cards and he knew it. She couldn't let things stay as they were; it would be so dreary and dull! She'd spend the next few months filing endless paperwork and teaching classes on how to cook like her.

She was Rindō fucking Kobayashi, the sexiest woman at Tōtsuki and the second coming of the Legumes Magician. No one could cook like her!

Rindō sighed again, putting every ounce of melodrama into it that she could. Sōma, as expected, showed no reaction but, this time, Rindō found herself more than a little irritated. She reached her hand out, grasping a wooden spoon that sat behind her, out of Sōma's view.

She raised her hand and threw it at Sōma. Sōma's eyes flicked to the spoon and his left hand came up, catching it by its stem with a deft, smooth motion.

"I guess you do move huh, Robot-chan?" asked Rindō idly. She was going to make another joke out of Sōma's now characteristically stiff demeanour, perhaps one related to gargoyles, when she noticed the angry, abraded red lines on Sōma's wrist. They would've looked like really bad tan lines, perhaps from a watch, if not for the distinct pattern of chain links in them. A pattern that exactly matched the chain Sōma had tied to his wrist.

"Where'd you get those scars, Sōma-kun?" asked Rindō idly.

As Sōma glanced at his wrist, he halted in place. Rindō saw something flare up in his eyes. It continued to flare as he gave her a stilted, incomplete explanation. She smiled as Sōma continued to stutter.

So there **was** more to this than she'd first thought. She didn't know exactly what but she would find out.

Oh, this could be fun. Very, very fun.

* * *

This could also be boring. Very, very boring.

Rindō yawned widely, rubbing at one eye as she struggled to keep the other one on the book before her. It hadn't been easy or cheap to find this old guy's notes; if Azami hadn't been such a stickler for detail and note keeping, she wouldn't have had any idea where to look. But, luckily for her, she'd been able to follow the trail of Azami's publications as a senior level college student all the way back to his study abroad trip in Germany. From there, it had taken just a little bit of extra digging and a _lot_ of extra money (thank you Second Seat budget!) to procure copies of all of Franz Krause's work. What hadn't been destroyed anyway.

It wasn't her usual fare but it certainly was interesting. And she hadn't really had the chance to toy with someone's mind since Tsukasa had made her promise to stop using him as her little guinea pig. But she couldn't help herself; messing with people was so fun! And messing with their heads was even better; you could practically make them into a different person. Just look at what she'd done with Tsukasa. A few little tweaks and adjustments and she'd been able to turn his tie wringing nervous tic into a cooking superpower! Give or take some mental stability, of course.

The thought of what she could do to Sōma reinvigorated her and she took to her research with new fervour. Boring as it was, Krause had some good ideas. The way he'd gone about them hadn't been very ethical but Rindō was never very hung up on morality when it got in the way of something she wanted. She read aloud at what seemed to be a critical point in the paper, if the amount of notation and highlighting was anything to go by.

"To properly craft a _shell persona_ , subjects must be placed in isolation and starved of social connection outside of the one they share with the person of interest, in this case the researcher. During this period of isolation, extreme emotional stimulus must be inflicted on the subject so as to traumatize the original, base personality, making the subject vulnerable to a shell personality being crafted onto their psyche. The nature of this stimulus can vary, as every subject is somewhat unique, but rigorous experimentation has observed that fear and pain tend to be ideal motivators, in that they are easy to manufacture within the subject. More immaterial emotions, such as love and happiness are more inconsistent but rarer and thus more difficult to circumvent through outside interference so there is merit in their usage as well."

A shell persona. That seemed a fairly apt descriptor of what little she'd seen of this new Sōma. She probably would've called it more robotic than anything else but shell worked too. And those marks definitely spoke of pain being used in its creation; she highly doubted Sōma had any fond feelings for Nakiri Azami even before he'd signed on for this after all.

"The subject should always feel a need for the person of interest but must always doubt if the person of interest truly needs them. This insecurity will ensure that they remain in a position where they are constantly seeking to have said need fulfilled by the person of interest. At certain key moments, rewards must be meted out at times but the frequency must be erratic and inconsistent, to better keep the subject off balance."

Rindō smiled as she thought back to her own experiences. Dangling carrots always let you lead people by the nose. The key was just finding out what the carrot was for that person, more often than not. She wondered what carrot Azami had waved under Sōma's nose. Must have been a pretty good one for him to not run screaming to the hills by now.

"As long as there is a need established and a proper emotional foundation, relationships crafted in this way will ensure that the subject remains under the control of the person of interest. As time passes, once proper maintenance procedures are followed, this hold will only strengthen in time. However, it has been noted that there are exceptions to this rule. The foundation of the relationship, be it love, fear, pain, anger or sadness, must remain intact. That is, if others are able to form connections with the subject that overlap or even surpass the emotions that comprise the foundation of the person of interest's relationship, the entire shell personality is in danger of collapsing as the very basis by which it exists is proven to be false."

A bit wordy and pompous, as most of these sorts of papers tended to be, but Rindō got the gist. Enough emotional bludgeoning would knock a person's identity senseless and let you create a sort of whole new person on top, a deformed mirror linked to the person that did said bludgeoning. And as long as you kept up with the "maintenance procedures, which she took to mean just heaping on more of whatever emotion you founded the shell on, it would continue to exist while leaving the original personality buried. But if someone else were to come along and heap on even more of said emotion…the shell would break down as the defining feature of its link to the person would be proven invalid, so to speak.

So it seemed her job was simple. Form a connection with this new Sōma and somehow manage to inflict more pain than Azami ever had. If she was successful, she could save Sōma from what would certainly be a dark road.

And if she managed to completely shake up Azami's potential checkmate in the process…then what was the harm? Besides, he'd been having it too easy as of late. Things had been getting boring. And what was a girl to do but do her best to spice things up in her last year of high school?

The grin on Rindō's face couldn't be called anything other than wickedly delightful.

* * *

"Oh, Sōma-kun…"

Rindō leaned into Sōma's ear, whispering softly. The red head flinched at the unexpected warmth but otherwise didn't move. He simply continued washing the plate he held in the sink.

"Why don't you leave those dishes for the help, Sōma-kun? It's what they're for."

She gestured and, as if by magic, two serving men appeared on either side of the duo.

"Yes, please allow us, Kobayashi-sama."

Rindō eased Sōma away from the sink, guiding him from the kitchen and into the hallway.

"But…Azami-sama said…"

"No, Sōma-kun. Shush. It's fine. I told you; I already cleared it with Azami-sama."

Truthfully, she hadn't cleared anything but she doubted the servants would rat her out. Not after the discussion they'd had.

"Now why don't you just come here and relax?"

She opened the door to her chambers, leading Sōma by the hand. He stared passively down at the grip she had on his own before allowing himself to be led into the room.

Rindō shut the door behind them, locking it with a deft twist of her fingers. Continuing to guide Sōma, she led him to her bed, seating him on the edge of it. She sat next to him, leaning her shoulder into his as she stared up at him. She began to speak, her voice soft and sultry.

"Now, I'm going to ask you to do something difficult, Sōma-kun. I'm going to need you to open up to me."

Sōma glanced down at Rindō but didn't otherwise react to the flirtation.

"I will do whatever you ask of me, Rindō-senpai. Azami-sama commanded me to."

"Yes, yes, I know that Sōma-kun. But this isn't about me. This is about you. Azami-sama wants me to teach you more than just cooking and, for that, I need you to be honest with me alright?"

Her hand snaked up, settling into Sōma's red locks. She began toying with the spiked edges as she continued to speak.

"So I'm going to ask you some questions. And I'm going to ask you to do some things. And I need you to trust me, alright?"

By the end of her statement, her lips were ghosting over Sōma's ear. He shivered, the warmth and contact doing something to him that he didn't understand how to process.

"As you wish, Rindō –senpai." Said Sōma.

"Good. Very good."

And Rindō began to speak, whispering into Sōma's ear and prodding responses from him. Teasing out details and feelings one slow, whispered exchange at a time. It was slow going but Rindō was patient when it came to things she wanted. She knew how to stalk her prey.

And so she did. Over the following days and weeks, Rindō would continue to pry and bond with Sōma, slowly but surely ensnaring him in a web of connection with just the right amount of affection and concern for his wellbeing. As he continued to allow Rindō further and further in, she saw just how truly damaged Sōma was and she utilized each and every crack until she knew, without a doubt, that Sōma was in love with her.

She took him to bed and he followed willingly, eagerly, for all that he was still distant and emotionless. She whispered sweet promises into his ear as they lay side by side, entwined in each other. She pulled her web around him with each and every word until, scant weeks before Sōma was due to return to Tōtsuki, he was completely smitten. And then she broke him.

Rindō had known just what she was going to do from day one. She knew she would never be able to match the physical pain that Azami put Sōma through in his conditioning. She was also not a fan of inflicting it herself; it was just so boring and uninspired. So she'd gone with what she knew: emotional manipulation.

She knew all about men like Sōma. They were the kind of men with strong wills and even stronger emotions. This meant that they were the type of men to go farther and work harder than anyone else. This meant that they were the men that you would see excel in their passions because they had the drive to work tirelessly for it.

But this also meant that they were the type of men that were extremely vulnerable to their own emotions. Just as their emotions could lead them to do amazing things, they could also be used to tear them down into the depths of despair. Men like Sōma loved harder than anyone else but they also hurt worse than anyone else when the things they loved failed them. And Rindō planned to utilize that to maximum effect.

* * *

"Rindō-senpai?" called Sōma, opening the door to Rindō's chambers. He looked around but the maroon haired girl was nowhere to be found. He glanced at his watch, noting the time. She'd said to meet her here at one o'clock and, as usual, he was exactly on time. He placed the flowers he'd brought on her dresser before taking a seat on the bed.

He looked around the room, almost smiling as he thought to what he'd shared with Rindō in this room. He hadn't expected the whirlwind of passion and love that had been his evenings for the past several weeks with her. It was exhilarating. He'd never been in love before and he found the sensation intoxicating in a way completely different than the feeling he associated with cooking.

He wondered if Rindō knew just how much she'd saved him. Azami's conditioning had all but broken him but Rindō had hauled him back from the brink, one piece at a time. She never tired of listening and was always ready with a kind word or sweet caress. Even the worst of Azami's sessions, the ones involving the footage of Erina as a scared, sad child, were having less and less of an effect on him. Rindō gave him the strength he needed to continue. He would've already failed his mission if not for her.

His phone beeped, breaking Sōma from his nostalgic reverie. He picked it up, noting the blinking blue envelope on the screen. He had a voicemail from Rindō. He placed the phone against his ear and hit 'Play'.

"Hiiii, Sōma-kun! Sorry for leaving you hanging. I got an emergency call from Azami and had to rush back to Tōtsuki. I'll be back around four, okay? I'll meet you then, bye!"

Sōma waited, expecting to hear the beep indicating the end of the voicemail. Instead he continued to hear sound. He could hear the faint sounds of a running engine and rushing wind of cars passing by. Rindō must have accidentally left the line open. He went to hang up but heard something that made him pause.

"Who were you talking to babe?" A deep voice rang in Sōma's ear. Confused, he continued to listen.

"Oh, nobody important." Came Rindō's voice. "Just the freshman I was telling you about."

"Oh, the one your boss wanted you to get wrapped around your finger?" the voice rang out again.

"Yea, that one."

Sōma froze. He felt the hard plastic of his phone creak in his hand as he reflexively clenched it.

"He's so annoying, Maito-kun. Always complaining and whining about his problems and talking about how he loves me so much and all kinds of sappy crap. It's genuinely sickening. I don't know how I stomach it." Said Rindō with a long suffering sigh.

"Yea, it's funny that some punk kid would think you could actually love him, Rindō-chan."

Sōma heard Rindō laugh the cheerful, almost musical laugh he'd come to associate with him. Something far different from her usual mischievous cackles or loud guffaws.

"Love him? Oh, that's rich. I don't think anyone could love him; that boy has issues. I'm just glad it'll all be over soon and then I can finally be rid of him. But enough about him for now though, Maito-kun. I'd much rather spend my time with you. Or _on_ you, as it were."

Rindō laughed again and, soon, Sōma began to hear other sounds. Sounds he'd only recently become capable of recognizing. The soft shuffle of clothing being discarded. The heavy breathing that came in between long kisses. And the sweet sound of Rindō's soft giggling.

"Oh, Maito-kun…"

The sound abruptly cut off and Sōma's phone beeped, the voicemail automatically coming to an end as it hit the five minute limit. Sōma still held the phone to his ear but he was barely conscious of it. He was staring at the wall, eyes wide. The voicemail's contents began to replay in his head, over and over. Sōma clutched at his chest where he felt a pain that was unlike any he'd felt since…since his mother's death.

He felt his left wrist began to throb and ache with a familiar pain and he clutched at the chain, hissing as the links dug into his wrist. He didn't care though. It couldn't compare to the pain he felt as he continued to hear Rindō's soft giggling and sighs resound in his head.

With each new repetition, Sōma felt his emotions build. His head felt like it was going to explode and he lurched to his feet, staggering towards the door. He fumbled with the knob but his hands were slick with sweat and he couldn't get it open. He continued to hear Rindō's words, unable to ignore them.

 _It's pretty sad._

 _What's there to love?_

 _Then I can finally be rid of him._

Sōma fell to the floor, knees weak. His back was flush against the door and he was panting, sweat running down his face as the pain in his chest only continued to grow and grow. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know how to make this ok. He didn't know how to make the pain stop. He just needed it to stop.

The carefully crafted shell that was Yukihira Sōma's new personality cracked and cracked further as he kept thinking about his relationship with Rindō. About what he'd thought he had. About the lie after lie she'd fed him for…for what? For what possible purpose?

 _The one your boss wanted you to get wrapped around your finger?_

Sōma had heard what the other voice had said. But he hadn't connected the dots before now; too overwhelmed by his own pain and sense of betrayal. It had all been a lie at Azami's behest; yet another way for the Central leader to keep him controlled and contained. Azami wasn't content to have Sōma's loyalty; he also wanted Sōma's heart. And he'd used Rindō to do it.

In that moment, he couldn't say who he hated more. And that new rush of dark feeling was the final straw.

The real Yukihira Sōma, kept repressed and buried for months by Azami's conditioning, came to the surface just in time to experience the violent storm of emotions left behind by Rindō's betrayal. He cowered and flailed, still battered from the trauma that had repressed him in the first place and utterly submitting to the pain of it all until he was lost amid a sea of unfamiliar emotion and chaos.

He felt his body curl itself into a ball and he clenched his teeth, not even reacting to the sharp, grinding noise they made. He felt something well up inside him, something grimly familiar.

The tattered remnants of Sōma's shell personality, completely broken by Rindō's betrayal, were still there. Instead of fading away into the background, they were still present and growing stronger in the wake of the real Sōma's weakness. But, instead of forming themselves around Azami and their desire to serve him, Sōma's shell formed around something else; it formed around the dark emotions within Sōma. A side of Sōma rarely shown to the world.

The rage and hatred inspired by Azami's treatment that had been repressed for so long, the simmering anger at his father for abandoning him after his mother died, the unresolved pain of his mother's death, the loneliness he felt…Sōma's shell gathered these feelings together and formed itself around them, both shielding the original Sōma and giving itself new purpose; new foundation.

For all that Sōma's shell personality was a shell, it was still Yukihira Sōma. With all of Sōma's stubbornness, strong will and perseverance. It refused to simply fade away and it made itself known, taking ownership of those things that Sōma himself, weak and confused after months of repression, couldn't handle.

Sōma's shell looked at the real Sōma and held out his hand. Offering him solace and protection from what they'd gone through in exchange for the privilege to continue existing. Sōma took it instantly and gratefully.

The chain around his hand, the chain that had been his leash and link to Azami, became something else entirely as their new agreement was founded and Sōma's personalities began to coalesce and settle, finding new purpose and hope within each other.

The chain became that which bound him to himself. It became the link, the bridge between the Sōma of the past and the Sōma of the future. The one that had sold himself into Azami's service for Erina's sake and the one that had remained free and pure. The one that had taken all of Azami's lessons to heart. And the one that still cooked with the passion and emotion that defined their Yukihira style.

The one that had become the False God's Tongue.

And the one that was the Chef's Soul.

Two parts of Sōma, equally valid yet completely distinct.

When the False God's Tongue finally gathered himself, he felt different. For the first time in so long, he felt whole. But he also felt very much divided. In a different way than he had when he'd been a slave to Azami. He felt the stinging of Rindō's betrayal but it was muted, kept distant by the conditioning he'd undergone and now utilized for himself.

He flexed his hands, marvelling at the familiar yet completely new feeling. He looked at the chain on his wrist and didn't feel a single shred of the fear or anxiety he was used to seeing at the mere sight of it. He simply felt control. For the first time in a long time, Sōma felt in control.

A knock at the door he was leaning against startled him. He sprang to his feet, turning around to face the closed portal.

"Sōma-kun? Are you in there?"

Rindō's voice should have been the spark that set Sōma's emotions off again but the False God's Tongue was unmoved. He felt the inner turmoil of the Chef's Soul, roiling in torment, but he wasn't nearly as affected. He could feel the pain and the hurt and the betrayal but as if they were coming from a great distance away through thick cloth.

It allowed him the strength to simply open the door and look at Rindō, the girl he'd loved, with a flat gaze.

"Greetings, senpai. I trust you and Maito-san enjoyed yourselves?" he asked placidly.

Rindō widened her eyes, leaning away from Sōma and covering her mouth embarrassedly.

"Maito-san?! How could you….oh, that phone! It never hangs up when I want it to. Believe me, Sōma-kun, I didn't mean for you to hear that." She said, reaching forward and trailing her hand down Sōma's chest. He didn't seem moved by the physical contact. The False God's Tongue simply continued to stare stonily at the older girl while the Chef's Soul cringed and curled into itself at every word from her mouth.

"Sōma-kun, you must believe me. I…I have certain appearances to maintain and goals to reach and Maito-kun's an important part of that. You see, he's set to be the youngest CEO of his father's company and it would…"

Rindō continued to rattle off details and one part of Sōma continued to listen. The other part simply kept its eyes narrowed, watching Rindō with new, objective eyes unhindered by vulnerability, love or bias. It watched as Rindō's mouth kept moving, her hands gesturing as she illustrated point after point. Her eyes moved and crinkled in time with her words, every emotion plain and open on her face. The expression of sincere apology on her face was perfect.

Sōma held up a hand, halting Rindō as she began to take a breath and delve into another portion of her explanation.

"You're lying, senpai." Said the False God's Tongue.

Rindō and the Chef's Soul gasped in time and the expression of shock on Rindō's face was genuine.

"Sōma-kun…I'm not lying! What could I possibly have to gain by lying to you right now?"

The catch in Rindō's voice as she spoke sounded real. The Chef's Soul cried out, reaching out towards Rindō from where it resided behind the stone wall that was the False God's Tongue, who was unmoved. He leaned forward, looming over Rindō as his face inched closer to hers until their noses are barely touching.

He held Rindō's gold gaze in his own as he reached up with his hand, laying it gently on her cheek. His thumb reached up and wiped away a tear that had begun to trickle down Rindō's cheek.

"Very authentic. And very convincing. At any other time and with any other person, you would've had them completely fooled. But I will not be."

With a sudden motion, Sōma pushed Rindō, not softly but not aggressively either. The girl stumbled back, almost tripping over herself as she gasped again, her eyes wide.

Sōma didn't react. He simply folded his arms and continued to look at her.

Rindō held her expression for a second more before sighing and rolling her eyes, her expression flattening into one of casual disinterest.

"Fine, fine. You got me, Yukihira. The jig is up, as they say." She said, throwing her hands into the air.

"Was any of it real, Rindō-senpai?" asked Sōma. He didn't seem concerned with the answer one way or the other.

Rindō shrugged, holding her open palms wide.

"Reality's a variable thing, really. We each have our own perspective on just what is and isn't real and if…"

Rindō trailed off as Sōma turned abruptly, beginning to walk out of the room and away from her.

"Yukihira! Where are you going?"

Sōma paused but didn't turn to face the Second seat. After a moment, he spoke.

"I'm not listening to any more of your lies, senpai. I will continue to learn from you because that's what Azami-sama requests of me but that will be all I do if you do nothing but lie to me again." He said.

Rindō smiled, amused despite herself. It seemed Sōma had finally found his spine.

"Alright. You drive a hard bargain, Yukihira. Fine. I won't lie to you. Though that also doesn't mean I'm obligated to tell you everything. A girl's gotta have her secrets after all."

Sōma didn't respond but he did turn around to face Rindō. He folded his arms and eyed her steadily. Rindō didn't seem moved by Sōma's intense gaze; she simply leaned against the door jamb, smiling cockily at him. After several moments of silence, Sōma finally spoke.

"What is it you want, Rindō-senpai?" he asked carefully.

Rindō's smile grew even wider, the tip of a fang barely protruding over her lip.

"Now that's an interesting question, isn't it Yukihira?" she said, chuckling softly. "Why, to have fun. What else? It's just that my idea of fun is a bit… _unique_."

The grin she shot Sōma was dark.

"You'll come to learn that about me, I'm sure."

"You speak as if there's going to be some continuation of our association with each other, Rindō-senpai." Said Sōma coldly. "I assure you there will not be."

"Oh come now, Yukihira. Don't be like that. I've put quite a bit of time and energy into you; it would be a waste to throw it all away." She said. "Besides, you'll need my help if you ever want to free Erina-chan."

The False God' Tongue froze, the shock cutting straight through the barriers he'd erected at the mention of the Nakiri heiress' name.

"Oh? That got through, huh? Figures. Don't forget you spilled all your little secrets to me already, Yukihira. I know exactly why you're doing what you're doing. And I also know that there's no way in hell you'll be able to pull it off without help. You simply don't have the firepower." She said. "And if you're doubting me, ask yourself: why haven't I reported your little scheme to Azami-sama yet? I could've ran, singing like a bird the very first day you told me about your lofty plan to stage a coup of the Elite Ten and oust Azami-sama. But I didn't, did I?"

The momentary shock had faded and Sōma's face was again set in its neutral mask. When it became clear he wasn't going to speak, Rindō rolled her eyes with a sigh.

"Fine, have it your way. Goodbye Yukihira."

Rindō turned her back on Sōma, walking further into her room and waving him away with her hand.

"Wait."

Rindō stopped; the smile on her face was smug. She'd known he would stop her. Sōma was smart enough to know that she was speaking the truth. This time anyway. Schooling her expression, Rindō turned to face him.

"Yes, Yukihira?"

Sōma glanced down at his wrist before looking up at her. He stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind him.

"Let's talk." He said.

The self-satisfied smirk this brought to Rindō's face made both sides of Sōma tense in caution but he marched forwards regardless. Rindō was right. He needed allies. More importantly, he needed to keep Rindō contained. She knew far too much about him and his true motivations to simply be left to her own devices. There was no telling what she could do.

And she knew it too.

As Sōma continued walking towards her, Rindō's smirk grew wider and wider until her grin stretched from cheek to cheek as she looked up at Sōma.

"I win this round, Yukihira. You can relax; your secrets are safe..."

The 'for now' was all but implied.

"And I'll help you. Azami-sama's getting a little too comfy in that seat for my liking. I'd like to make him fight for it a bit ya know? Make things kinda interesting. And you seem to be the man for the job; you're headed back to Tōtsuki in a few days' time, primed and ready to stir the pot. And I wanna be right there at your side, stirring alongside you, though maybe not always in the same direction."

She shrugged casually, holding her hand out beseechingly.

"So what do you say, Sōma-kun? Partners?"

Sōma stared down at the extended hand warily. The slim, pale appendage may as well have been a coiled viper for all the danger it represented but he took it in his own regardless.

"Fine. Partners."

The sight of Rindō's fanged smile had Sōma wondering if he'd simply traded one devil for another.

* * *

 **A/N: I was of two minds about how I started this chapter. On one hand, I hate the use of the line "Months earlier" or something equally cliché. On the other hand, I wasn't sure if the flashback was as obvious as I would've liked. So I decided to trust you guys to figure it out, it becomes pretty clear pretty quickly. But my apologies to anyone that started off this chapter confused, especially as last chapter ended with Sōma driving in a car with Azami as well!**

 **I'm in a rush today so it's not as proofread as I would like but should still be good (I hope?) Still tho, pretty crazy chapter. We finally get to see just what Soma went through under Azami's tender care.**


	29. Chapter 28

When Sōma saw Azami with his hand on Kumi's shoulder and the look of fear on his sister's face, there was no hesitation from either of his sides. The rage that came over them swept them up completely and Sōma charged, intent on causing Azami harm and getting him away from Kumi. Preferably both.

Sōma didn't yell or scream; he simply moved, sprinting towards Azami, who seemed unconcerned with Sōma's hostility. The director simply stood to face Sōma and raised a single hand, his thumb and middle finger held against each other. They moved suddenly.

 _Snap_.

The simple noise reverberated in Sōma's mind like a gong. He gasped as he stumbled, almost falling straight to the floor. The feeling in his mind…it wasn't pain but it wasn't pleasant either. It felt like wool had been draped over his senses. He felt muted, as if he was chained all over again, but this time someone else was holding the leash.

He struggled to keep his eyes focused on Azami. The sight of the Central head's pale, slightly smiling visage was enough to make Sōma snarl and continue lurching towards Azami, even though he could barely feel his feet.

 _Snap._

Sōma gasped, stumbling again. The feeling of muted wooliness had suddenly increased, to the point where Sōma couldn't even tell if he was standing or crouching as he stared at the linoleum floor. He tried to maintain his focus but it was difficult. He felt as if he was trying to see through dense fog, his mind clouded with a sense of numbness.

The rage he'd felt still continued to burn, despite this though and he continued walking towards Azami, though the man now looked more like a vague, dark blob than a person. Every step was laborious, as if Sōma was walking through deep snow or sand, but he continued. The thought of Azami anywhere near Kumi gave him the strength to.

 _Snap_.

Everything stopped.

The outside world disappeared and Sōma was completely overtaken by his mind. He felt himself fall and fall until, suddenly, he was somewhere else. Somewhere within his mind that he both recognized and didn't.

He was in a cage, strapped to a chair. Around his left wrist hung a thick chain that snaked out and wound its way through the bars of the cage before disappearing off into the darkness. In front of his cage, he saw himself. Seated before Azami in a dark, familiar room.

The Sōma in the chair was panting, his fingers tense and curled into the wood. Sweat dripped down his face, pasting his bangs haphazardly to his forehead as his chest rose and fell. He was staring ahead vacantly, looking not at the wall but through it. His golden eyes were dim and faded. This was a Sōma from the past, from when Sōma was still undergoing Azami's conditioning. However, Sōma remembered every single second of the time he'd spent in Azami's care yet he didn't recall this particular scene at all.

He watched Azami pace around the other Sōma, looking down at him.

"The session is at an end, Sōma-kun. How do you feel?" he asked.

Sōma didn't respond. He simply continued to pant, staring at the stone wall before him.

"Wonderful." Said Azami. "Now, onto the next stage."

Azami reached into his jacket pocket, producing a small device. He placed it on the table before sliding his finger across the top of it before releasing.

The metronome ticked back and forth, clicking in time.

"Listen to the sound of my voice, Sōma-kun. Listen and heed it. You will serve me."

Azami snapped his fingers and both the Sōma in the chair and the Sōma in the cage flinched.

"You will remain loyal, unwaveringly, to me. And only me."

Azami snapped again.

"You will serve me. You will serve me. You. Will. Serve. **ME**!"

On the third snap, the image shattered, fading into nothing. Despite that, he could still hear Azami's voice, as if the man was standing right behind him, whispering directly into his ear.

"Dritte. Dritte. Dritte. Dritte…"

Azami continued repeating the word, chanting it almost. Sōma felt himself tilting in response to the soothing sound, his head lolling back as he felt the woolen feeling rise up over his senses once more. He felt the comfort of not-thinking, of simply taking orders and doing Azami's will. It swelled up and surrounded him in a loving embrace, calling him back to where he belonged. On bended knee to-

 **NO!**

With a gasp, Sōma sat upright, blinking blearily as he felt the chain on his left wrist spark and squirm, tugging against his hand. He looked out into the darkness where he could, barely, see a form in the distance. It approached him, moving slowly but purposefully. As it got closer to the cage, more and more details were revealed until Sōma was staring at the monochromatic version of himself that he'd become used to seeing in the mirro.

This Sōma's dark eyes were fixed on Sōma's and his face was set in a dispassionate, intense expression.

"It's you." Said Sōma, blinking in surprise. "Fancy meeting you down here. I'd offer you a chair but, well."

Sōma raised his hands, shrugging.

 **Your pointless drivel is as unamusing as ever.**

The black clad Sōma stepped up to the cage, eyeing the bars critically.

"So what was that?" asked Sōma, jerking his head towards the empty space where the memory had resided. "Yet another lovely little surprise you kept hidden away from me?"

 **Not exactly. I doubt it's the only memory of its kind either; this seems more routine than it rightfully should.**

Sōma's darker half narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the spot where the memory had resided.

 **It was hidden when we first split, all those months ago. When our division was more natural, as opposed to us picking and choosing and warring over parts of our self.**

"Ah, back when we used to work together." Said Sōma, grinning. "Those were good times, huh False God's Tongue? Don't you miss them?"

 **Miss is a strong word. Though I do prefer them to…this.**

The chained Sōma waved, indicating the cage kept in place.

 **We're just lucky that Rindō broke us when she did. It's the only thing that allowed me to be out here and not stuck in there with you.**

Sōma's eyes narrowed before he scoffed, shaking his head.

"So is that it? You're going to leave me locked up here while you go off gallivanting in our body? Breaking the arms of everyone that disagrees with us and speaking in cryptic monotones all the time?"

The black clad Sōma grit his teeth, baring them at his caged copy.

 **Oh, how I wish I could. But I think we both know that it wouldn't be a feasible solution. For the long term.**

"Yea. We've proven that. Our squabbling couldn't have happened at a worse time. Thanks for that, by the way."

 **I won't apologize. I saw it as the best solution to deal with a problem.**

"Splitting our already divided psyche in some sort of hostile takeover seemed like the best solution to you? Really?"

 **I do what is necessary. Nothing more.**

Sōma rolled his eyes at his darker half.

"What. Ever. So what do you think is necessary now, huh? I assume you wouldn't be speaking with me if you could afford to just leave me in here."

 **We need to come together.**

That stopped Sōma short. He gaped at his other half, whose expression was one of thin lipped distaste.

 **We have been separated too long. We've differed too greatly from what we were when we first became…us. If Azami uses the psychological trigger on us, we risk reverting. Only this time, I doubt he'd be careless enough to let anyone near us enough to recreate what Rindō did.**

"Yea, massively unlikely." Said Sōma, frowning. "How will merging help us though? The whole point of splitting in the first place was so that you could take all of the emotional crap I'm not made to deal with."

 **We're different now. I'm different. So are you. When we merge…**

Sōma's other side hesitated, his face going even stonier.

 **When we merge, we will be one Yukihira Sōma. But we will not be the same Yukihira Sōma that we once were either. We will be different. More driven, less joyful. More powerful but less restrained. There will be an adjustment period, to be certain.**

"I'm not sure we'll have time for that. If Azami's to the point where he's going to trigger us, he must feel as if we've really…slipped the leash…"

Sōma grinned widely at the forced pun. His other side stared at him flatly but before it could respond, a loud voice was heard. Nakiri Azami's voice. Unlike before, when it was barely a whisper, this voice boomed, reverberating across the entire space. Instinctively both of them knew that this was no recollection; this was the actual Azami speaking to them.

 _DRITTE_

Instantly, Sōma's mindscape began rumbling and shaking. The cage he was within started rattling, almost throwing the Sōma outside of the cage to the ground. The dark haired Sōma got to his feet, reaching his hand through the cage beseechingly.

 **Hurry! We're out of time!**

Sōma reached for the outstretched hand, struggling. His bonds in the chair prevented him from fully reaching, his fingertips only scant inches from his other side's hand.

"I can't! This damned conditioning cage keeps me just out of reach, you'll have to come in here!"

 **No! Fool! Think. What would be the point? So we could both be trapped in Azami's grasp forever?**

The dark haired Sōma banged his hand against the bar, his fist impacting with little effect.

 **You must get out of the chair. Slip those bonds. This is our mind, it's all a representation. What do those straps represent?**

"I don't know! You're the one with all of the answers here!" shouted Sōma desperately. He flinched as he heard the sound of a gong. Or more accurately, felt it rumble in his chest. He cried out, clutching at his chest and he saw his dark mirror wince, putting his hand to his chest as well before continuing to glare at the bound Sōma.

 **I'm not the weakling in the cage. My apologies for not knowing every little insecure twist of your half of our mind!**

The black haired Sōma glared at his colored counterpart, his eyes ice cold.

 **Take. My. Hand. Or we're all fucked. All of us. Me. You. Alice. Erina. Polar Star. Tōtsuki. Everyone!**

With each name, Sōma flinched, the bonds tightening against him in response. He whimpered, clawing at the latch holding his right arm in place.

"I…I can't! I can't do this, you have to help me."

 **I can't. I've been your crutch for months, that's part of the issue. This is something you need to do without me.**

Sōma's other half retracted his hand before taking a full step back.

"What are you doing? Are you just going to leave me?!" shouted Sōma, his eyes wide with fear as he felt his heart begin to race even faster, thumping against his chest.

Sōma's counterpart took another step back, even as their surroundings continued to shake and rumble. The very edges of the plane began to fold inwards, borders appearing where there was before only boundless space. A sound reminiscent of crumbling stone and twisting metal began to resound throughout the space, causing Sōma to wince even as his other half continued to stare stonily at him.

 **If you can't get out of this, then we don't deserve to make it out of this.**

The groaning continued as the edges of the mindscape began encroaching even further and further, approaching the center where the Sōma doubles resided.

"Come on, please! Just open the door and step in!" shouted Sōma. "That's better than us being lost forever!"

 **If I do it, then it will all have been for naught regardless.**

He took another step back.

 **Now get up. You spineless wretch. Do something for yourself. For us. For all of the people we care about!**

The not-voice echoed hauntingly over the space, momentarily drowning out the sounds of collapsing reality around them.

Sōma felt tears begin to well up in his eyes.

"I…I can't." he said, haltingly. At his admission, the bonds holding him cinched even tighter in place.

 **Why?**

"I'm scared." Said Sōma, his voice catching. At this point, Sōma was all but immobile, firmly held to the chair by the straps.

 **And you think I'm not?**

The dark haired Sōma folded his arms, glaring contemptuously at his other half even as the edges of their mind grew ever closer, seconds away from consuming them both.

 **But unlike you, I can do what needs to be done. And unlike me, you can do more than that. You can do more. You risk more, you invest more but you can do more as a result.**

Sōma felt the bonds across his chest loosen with every word not-spoken by his other side.

 **Your emotions are not what make you weak. Your actions do. Do not allow yourself, allow** **us** **to be defined by them. Now. Get. UP!**

Almost as if by command, Sōma's bonds burst into threads and he stood up. He ran at the cage bars, his hand reaching out. His other side did not reach out for it, remaining where he stood, barely out of reach.

 **You can make it here. You can make it out of that cage. Believe in yourself.**

Sōma grabbed at the bars, pulling and pushing against them. The metal resisted but, slowly, they began to bend under his hands, the gap between them growing wider and wider as Sōma bent them outwards, the metal loosening and softening as if it was made of rubber. Sōma grinned down at the loosening bars but his grin faded as he looked up.

The edges of their mindscape were accelerating, barreling towards his other side's back. The dark haired Sōma glanced over his shoulder but otherwise showed no concern, even as the edges of his form began to blur and dissipate.

 **I suggest you move quickly.**

Sōma grunted, throwing his full weight against the bending bars. They bent more and more until, finally, he was able to slip his body through. He stumbled to the ground, almost losing his footing but catching himself.

He stood before the other Sōma, who had the barest of smiles on his face. Sōma extended a hand to his other side, smiling cheekily. Sōma's dark half rolled his eyes but placed his hand in his own.

The moment they touched, the collapsing mindscape around them vanished. The cage, the chain, the edges…everything. Until it was just the two of them, hand in hand. Sōma laughed as he looked around.

"Well, that's that then. Welcome back to me, me!"

 **You…are so cheesy.**

Where their hands met, a glow began to form and suddenly their hands were stuck fast. They began falling suddenly, the darkness around them all encompassing until, slowly, it began to fill with things. Flashes of memories and emotion swept past them as they continued falling.

Sōma saw his mother smiling down at him.

He saw himself at her funeral.

Sōma saw the first time he'd ever held a kitchen knife.

He saw the first cut he'd given himself right after.

Sōma saw when he first held Kumi in his arms, her purple eyes staring up at him in wonder.

He saw when he had to leave her behind when he went to Tōtsuki.

Both Sōmas continued falling, surrounded by the purest representations of themselves and their experiences; each memory crystal clear as they passed them by, despite the speeds they were traveling at.

"Trippy, huh?" he asked nonchalantly.

 **It is somewhat disorienting, yes.**

"Still pretty damn cool though."

 **Agreed.**

Sōma saw when Alice first held him, cradling him as he screamed.

He saw when he made the decision to never tell her how he felt.

Sōma saw when he went back on that decision as she kissed him.

He saw when he broke her heart.

Sōma saw the night they spent together.

He saw the nights he'd spent with Rindō.

"Our relationship with Rindō-senpai is pretty odd, you gotta admit. Especially after what she did to us."

 **You cannot blame the scorpion for stinging you, for it is simply its nature.**

"Yea, I guess. Still though. She's kind of like the big sister we never had, ya know?"

 **Minus the sex, of course?**

"Well, duh."

Sōma saw when he spoke to Hayama, assuring him of the seminar's freedom from Central.

He saw when he opened his closet door, adding Kuga's uniform jacket to the growing number hanging there.

Sōma saw when he spoke to Erina and Megumi, securing their help in the Elite Ten Selection.

He saw Erina's childish, tear filled gaze as she screamed for her father to return and take her from the cold darkness.

Sōma saw when he first saw Kumi standing among the DEF kitchen children, smirking up at him with her classic arrogance.

He saw her and Azami in the hallway, Azami's hand on her shoulder and the other hand reaching towards the crown of her head, where a white lock of hair was barely visible amongst the deep black.

"I hope Kumi's safe. I've got no idea how long I've been in here."

There was only silence.

Sōma looked around, noting the lack of any of his other selves. He looked down at his hands, flexing them appreciatively as he continued to fall. This time, he noticed that he was actually falling towards something. A bright light.

"So we went full on cliché huh? Guess I am pretty cheesy." said Sōma to himself, flipping his body around so that he was diving straight towards the light. He cracked his knuckles expectantly as it grew brighter and brighter as he approached it. Just before the light swallowed him, he grinned.

"I'm back."

* * *

Sōma was suddenly standing on his feet, alert and awake. His eyes were closed but every muscle felt wired and alert. He carefully flexed his hands, taking stock of the situation based on what he could hear. Before he could ascertain much, he heard a voice.

"Well, how do you feel, Sōma-kun?"

He'd know that voice anywhere. He heard it in his dreams and in his nightmares. But the sudden fear it inspired was quickly tampered and control by a core of steel that he hadn't possessed months before.

Sōma took another deep breath before carefully cladding himself in the persona he knew Azami would be expecting. That of the completely devout and obedient False God's Tongue. He looked up at Azami, his eyes sharp and hard.

"Greetings Nakiri-sama."

"Welcome back, Sōma-kun."

Azami's smile was wide for all that it rang with falsehood.

"It's good to see that you are still in working order, so to speak."

Sōma looked down at his hands, flexing them once more. He kept the elation and joy he felt at seeing his hands, just his and no one else's, off of his face.

"The conditioning was a complete success, Nakiri-sama. Your caution was warranted, it seems."

Azami nodded, turning and beckoning for Sōma to follow him. He continued to speak as they walked, the hallways empty but for the two of them.

"I'm not a fan of taking unnecessary risks, Sōma-kun. Life is filled with surprises and a rigid plan with no allowance for variation is a doomed one. You must always have contingencies. And contingencies for when those fail you as well."

"I agree." Said Sōma, thinking of the carefully laid plan he'd started out with upon his return to Tōtsuki. And how quickly it had been altered beyond his imagination.

"Be that as it may, I find myself asking; why exactly did you see the need to attack me, Sōma-kun? I was aware that your mental stability during your…sabbatical was far from ideal but we both know just how badly things could've gone if you'd succeeded."

Sōma felt his fist clench, his fingernails digging into his palm as he thought back to seeing Azami's hands on his sister. He kept his expression controlled however.

"I am not certain myself, Nakiri-sama. The past few months are rather hazy, just as you advised me they might be. I'm unable to give a clear reason. My apologies."

"Hm. I see. Well, that is the issue with the triggers. They're quite useful, I'll admit, but it is irritating that their very nature keeps the shell itself from growing alongside the host. I shudder to think of all of the work that is ahead of me with Erina."

Sōma paused in his steps, his expression one of open surprise. By the time Azami turned around, his mask was back in place.

"Something wrong, Sōma-kun?" asked Azami, watching the young man carefully.

Sōma blinked, furiously debating how to respond as he continued holding Azami's stare, his expression giving away nothing. Finally, he opened his mouth and responded, placidly.

"I believe the initial terms of our agreement forbid any contact between you and Erina-sama." Said Sōma.

Azami arched a delicate, dark eyebrow.

"Come now, Sōma. I am a man of my word. I made it very clear that I would not so much as speak to Erina as long as your father continued to work at Tōtsuki. However, considering your loss to her and that port town girl, his tenure will be up in a few short weeks. So, in the interest of ensuring that whatever nonsense you had planned doesn't come to fruition, I've decided to terminate his contract early."

Sōma felt his heart start to race but he clamped down on the impulse, willing himself to stay calm with the core of steel he'd developed as the False God's Tongue.

"I'm sure Saiba-senpai will thank me. He's made his feelings on being here quite clear, after all."

"Yes, my father is not accustomed to being tied down for any length of time." Said Sōma. "I'm sure he will welcome the opportunity to travel once again."

"Indeed. Be that as it may, I suppose I will simply need to find some other way to reawaken that side of Saiba-senpai. The side of himself that your mother saw fit to get rid of. Such a troublesome woman."

Sōma didn't flinch in respond to the gibe. Externally, anyway.

"I wish you could've known him when I did, Sōma-kun. He was something spectacular. He laid waste to chef after chef, ruthlessly crushing the competition. He would've been the first seat of the Elite Ten if he'd bothered to try and dethrone Dojima-senpai. Perhaps he thought the effort would've been beneath him? Who knows? Even then, Saiba-senpai was difficult to understand at the best of times." Said Azami, smiling fondly as he thought of his high school days.

Sōma didn't comment, choosing instead to continue walking silently after Azami while he struggled to maintain appearances and process the fact that everything had changed once again. He knew Erina wasn't ready. She hadn't had the time. A few months in a dormitory, even one as special as Polar Star, wouldn't have made her strong enough to resist Azami if he truly came calling for her.

He didn't let the irritation he felt at his father show. He still didn't see what could've possibly made him think Erina was ready to confront Azami so soon. After having gone through just a portion of what she did first hand, Sōma could say, with absolute certainty, that Erina wasn't prepared. His bonds with Azami had been built on pain and fear, temporary emotions. Erina's bonds were founded in her love for Azami as her father. Familial love…that was a bond with an entirely different level of strength and Sōma was sure that, if Azami said the word, Erina would be his.

Even knowing all of that, Sōma didn't see what he could do to stop him. The second Azami delivered his termination contract to his father, Sōma lost what little leverage he had. And in his role as Azami's newly obedient aide, he could do nothing to openly go against him. That would just lead to Azami changing his plans yet again and disrupting Sōma's even further. And things were already precarious enough, as it were. As it stood, the only saving grace was the lack of talent in the 91st Generation. There was a distinct lack of challengers that could truly contest his allies' strength. But all of the skill in the world wouldn't matter if Azami felt threatened and changed the rules to suit his whims yet again.

Sōma was going to have to get creative if he didn't want everything to come crashing down around him.

"Ah, here we are." Said Azami, stopping in front of his office door. "I'll be just a moment, Sōma-kun. Wait out here for me."

Sōma nodded, watching Azami enter and shut the door behind him. He also heard the click of the lock engaging.

Sōma immediately pulled out his phone, beginning to dial. He paused mid key stroke, looking down at the cell phone in his hands. It was the sleek, black model he'd received from Azami once he'd entered his employ. He'd never tested the theory but he'd always assumed that anything he did on it had the potential to be monitored.

Sōma pocketed the phone, thinking carefully. He needed to play the part of "obedient lapdog" to the hilt. Contacting anyone right now, when Azami would be at his most suspicious, wasn't the right move. He needed to be loyal and servile; he needed to be the emotionless, obedient aide Azami expected after invoking his trigger.

He just hoped that he'd be able to do that while still ensuring everything went will with the Selection. He had faith in his friends and his allies but he hoped that the sudden shift wouldn't cause them to doubt him. Or themselves.

* * *

Sōma put a hand to his head, groaning as he leaned against the closed door way. He massaged his temples, grimacing at the dull pounding he could feel on the inside of his skull. Maintaining the façade day in and day out had proven much more stressful than he'd first thought. It had only been a week but it had been a week of strict discipline and utter focus. He couldn't allow himself to slip at all when in the presence of Azami or any of the myriad of staff that worked for him.

This also meant that Sōma hadn't had the chance to connect with any of his allies and assure them that, despite appearances, things weren't nearly as hopeless as they seemed. Though he was still at a loss as to what he could do for Erina. The thought of not being able to help her gave him a sensation of almost physical pain and it had taken everything he had to keep himself together when he first saw her dull eyes and rigid posture.

And then to go on for hours on end, working alongside of her and being forced to pretend that everything was fine had left Sōma with a headache that had been slowly gaining in intensity throughout the course of the day. He doubted the strain had shown on his face but it was difficult to be completely certain; nothing ever was with a man like Nakiri Azami.

Sōma stood to his feet, still continuing to massage his temple with one hand as he loosened his tie with the other.

He wondered if Alice had noticed his return; he'd spent the past week at Azami's facility being submitted to a battery of tests to ensure that none of his competence or intelligence had been lost when Azami had invoked the trigger. He'd been careful and exacting in his results, to the point of perfection that he knew was expected of him and Azami had been pleased to see that his newest "creation" was still fully functional.

It was only now that Azami had deemed it appropriate for Sōma to return to his rooms in the Nakiri manor; he trusted that Sōma was fully and completely under his control. Regardless of what his niece or his former friends attempted.

Sōma debated reaching out to Alice but he couldn't be completely certain if Azami didn't have agents or cameras planted in new locations as a contingency plan. It was too risky for him to contact her just yet. But he knew that she knew; she had to. He'd seen the look in her eyes as she walked off. If no one else, Alice knew that he was still on their side.

Sōma's phone vibrated in his pocket, breaking him from his thoughts. He picked it up and glanced at the screen. Hayama's name was on it.

* * *

Hayama snapped his phone shut, stowing it away in his pocket. He crossed his arms and returned his gaze to the men standing across the threshold of the Shiomi seminar. They were led by Azami's head of security, Hideki, who held a crisp, stamped paper in his hands.

"Come now Hayama-kun, please stop being difficult. This notice bears both Azami's personal seal and the Tōtsuki Administration's seal. This isn't a negotiation; this is an eviction, plain and simple. Please don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"This doesn't make any sense, Hideki-san." Said Hayama. "As per my loss to Yukihira weeks ago, the Shiomi seminar is an officially recognized part of Central. We even put up a new sign for the occasion."

Hayama pointed up, drawing Hideki's eyes to the large sign proclaiming the name of the seminar. At the very top most left corner, there was a hastily drawn rendering of Central's logo.

Hideki pursed his lips and looked back down at the eviction notice.

"As…touching as that is, I'm afraid I must insist. Now, I've given both you and Shiomi-san ample warning a-"

"You call half a day ample warning?" commented Hayama mildly.

Hideki frowned at the interruption but continued speaking after a brief pause.

"I've given you ample _enough_ warning. We're not unreasonable people. There's been more than enough time for you and Shiomi-san to gather your personal effects and shut down any ongoing research projects you have running. If you do not comply within the next five minutes, I'm afraid I have no choice but to get law enforcement involved and that would place a large amount of undue stress on us all. Not to mention expense. So, if you would?"

Hayama didn't respond. He simply continued staring at Hideki, his green eyes unwavering.

Hideki stared back, his eyes narrowed as he held the notice stretched out towards the younger man.

Several seconds of silence passed. The construction workers behind Hideki shuffled nervously, sensing the tension but remained quiet.

Hideki lowered the paper with a sigh, shaking his head.

"If that's how it must be, I suppose I'll just have to call the proper authorities." Said Hideki.

"I would hold off on doing that, if I were you, Hideki-san." Said Hayama.

"And why is that, Hayama-kun?" asked Hideki, raising an eyebrow.

"I feel that Yukihira would have something to say on this and I understand that his words hold some weight with Azami-sama." Said Hayama.

"Even if that were the case, Yukihira-kun isn't here right now." Pointed out Hideki, gesturing to the empty yard surrounding them.

Hayama simply pointed to his ear, cocking his head to the side.

"Do you hear something, Hideki-san?" he asked mildly. "Because I hear a rather distinct noise; the sound of a moped engine if I'm not mistaken. And I rarely am."

"If this is some attempt to stall for time, it's a rather nonsensical one. I'd thought better of you, Hayama-kun." Said Hideki. "Now, step aside or else I'll have to…"

Hideki trailed off as he noticed that the previous silence of the outdoors was slowly being supplanted by a distinct sound; a sound that seemed to match exactly what Hayama had said.

Sōma pulled up before the Shiomi seminar, bringing his scooter to a stop before the small crowd. Planting the kickstand, he stood up, dusting off the jacket of his Tōtsuki uniform. His cold, golden gaze swept over the crowd, causing some of the men to almost instinctively shy away, despite having no idea who the red headed teenager was.

"What's going on here, Hayama-san?" asked Sōma, glancing over at his ally. Hayama met his gaze, gesturing towards the group of men led by Hideki.

"According to Hideki-san, the Shiomi seminar is being shut down and Jun and I are being evicted." He said calmly. "I explained to him as best I could that there must be some sort of clerical error."

"Yes. A clerical error." Said Sōma, eyes scanning the array of construction workers and the officially stamped notice in Hideki's hand. "Hideki-san, would you care to explain to me exactly why decisions were made regarding my seminar?"

Hideki arched a blonde eyebrow skeptically.

"Your seminar, Yukihira-kun? I believe you may be misunderstanding something. Just because you were the tool used to win the seminar over, that does not grant you ownership."

"You're right; it wouldn't if it were as simple as you say. But I would have you refer to the Reallocation Order."

Sōma reached into his jacket, withdrawing a few worn from inside of it.

"Specifically the section discussing the terms and conditions of my victory over any clubs that chose to align themselves against Central and thus offer themselves up to be potentially purged."

Sōma flipped through the pages, before placing his finger at a specific line.

"Any organization that loses their shokugeki appeal in which Yukihira Sōma acts as Central's representative will be forced, after a due amount of time, to give over all rights and assets to Yukihira Sōma on Central's behalf. He will remain in sole control of the organization for the remainder of his tenure at Tōtsuki."

Sōma lowered the papers, his cool stare boring into Hideki.

"The terms were quite clear. The Shiomi seminar is mine."

"And you are Azami-sama's, Yukihira-kun. You follow his every command, do you not?" asked Hideki.

"I do." Said Sōma, unmoved by the borderline accusation.

"Then why do you stand in my way now, when this was done exclusively at Azami-sama's orders?" challenged the security head.

"Because I do not believe this is a decision to be made in haste and will discuss this with Azami-sama at the nearest opportunity." Said Sōma. "Until I've had a chance to do so; you and your men may exit the premises."

Hideki frowned but relented, placing the notice back into his folder.

"Azami-sama will not be pleased." He said.

"Azami-sama is the most intelligent man I have ever met." Remarked Sōma. "I am sure that he will have no issue giving the matter further thought at my request."

"You presume greatly, Yukihira-kun."

"That I do. Now leave, Hideki."

The dropping of the polite honorific was deliberate, as was Sōma's flat stare. Hideki scoffed but turned, gesturing for the men to follow him as he marched away. Before he got too far, he paused.

"By the way Yukihira-kun; Azami-sama mentioned to me that he had the pleasure of meeting your partner during the fourth trial. He was surprised that you'd foregone the partnership that had been assigned to you as a member of Central."

"My partner proved themselves inadequate; I do not use inferior tools." Said Sōma sharply, clenching the fist that was hidden in the crook of his arm. His face remained unaffected and calm however.

"Of course, of course. Azami-sama was simply curious as to where you had acquired this…superior tool." Remarked Hideki, looking over his shoulder to fix Sōma with a suspicious glare.

"I am not yours to question." Said Sōma. He shifted his bearing, a slight adjustment by most standards but one that did much to increase the tension in the air.

Hideki turned back without a word, shrugging.

"As you wish, Yukihira-kun. I look forward to seeing how you plan to justify this insubordination to Azami-sama. Come gentlemen, let's take our leave."

Sōma watched the men go until they were barely visible figures in the distance. He then turned to Hayama, who was leaning against the door jamb of the seminar. He was eyeing Sōma with a neutral gaze, his arms folded.

"I believe we have some things to discuss. May I come in, Hayama?" asked Sōma, inclining his head slightly.

Hayama shrugged but stood up, gesturing the red head inside.

"It's your seminar, isn't it? Why are you asking me?"

Sōma walked into the door, looking around at the cluttered interior. He heard the door shut behind them and he turned to face Hayama, who was still watching Sōma carefully.

"I trust we're alone?" asked Sōma.

"For the most part. Jun worried herself into exhaustion this morning over that notice and is sound asleep in bed."

"I see. And there's no one else present?" asked Sōma, glancing around despite having already ascertained that the main hall was empty.

"No one. It's just us." Confirmed Hayama.

Sōma took a deep breath, his shoulders slumping as he exhaled. He put one hand behind his head, scratching at it in a carefree manner. He opened his eyes and grinned at Hayama, the familiar expression of mischievous joy catching the Sultan of Spice off guard.

"Great. We got a lot to talk about and some messages I need you to deliver. Grab a pen, Hayama."

* * *

Joichiro yawned, stretching as he sat up from his tatami mat. He scratched idly at the stubble that was ever present on his chin, getting to his feet with a soft groan. He wasn't that old but he definitely remembered simple things like getting out of bed being a whole lot easier a few decades back.

He opened the door to his room, his keen nose immediately picking up on the scent of miso soup, rice and eggs. Someone was cooking. He had a fair guess as to who.

He wandered into the kitchen, grinning as he saw Kumi at work at the stove, doing her best to stomp and sulk around the kitchen while still ensuring the meal was prepared well. Even if it was a mandatory part of her grounding sentence, there was no way Kumi would disrespect food enough to let that interfere with her preparation of it.

"Morning Kumi-chan." Said Joichiro, taking a seat and crossing his legs at the table in the center of the front room.

Kumi didn't respond; she continued to prepare the food silently, though they both knew she had heard him.

"Come on Kumi-chan, you can't give me the cold shoulder forever. We're gonna have to talk about this sooner or later." He chided.

"You and Kaa-san didn't seem all that eager to talk when you brought me home last week." She muttered, slamming a cupboard door as she held several bowls in the crook of her other arm.

"Well, can you blame us? You disappeared Kumi. Without a word. Do you know how terrified we were?" asked Joichiro, raising one eyebrow. His temper had long since cooled though he could still feel irritation rankling just beneath his skin. "Nine year olds aren't allowed to just wander Japan by themselves."

"Nine and a half." She corrected rebelliously, ladling the miso soup out into even portions.

Joichiro rolled his eyes but conceded.

"Fine. Nine and a half. But my point still stands."

"Nii-chan needed my help. And family always comes first." She spat out, swinging around to face her father. She held the ladle in between her hands, wringing it almost to the point of snapping. "Isn't that what you always say? That family is everything?"

"It is." Said Joichiro firmly. "But that doesn't mean you charge in blindly and put yourself at risk. Otherwise all you're doing is potentially making things that much worse. What if something had happened while you were in Tokyo? Your mom and I wouldn't have had any idea where you were or what happened; do you know how that would have made us feel?"

"Nii-chan needed me. And so I went." Said Kumi sharply, doing her best to ignore the guilt that her father's words had spawned in her heart. She hadn't thought it through, if she was being honest. She'd been worried and concerned about Sōma for months on end. Her mother was always telling her that there was nothing she could do and that she needed to let her big brother handle things. And that of course everything was going to be alright. And of course she shouldn't worry.

And about a dozen other clichés that parents told their kids when they didn't want them to worry.

Kumi was too smart for that; she wasn't assured at all by her mother's words. If anything, they made her even more concerned. She'd seen an opportunity to help and she'd hopped on it, almost without thinking. It hadn't been smart. She'd realized that the second she'd met that man.

Kumi flinched as she remembered those deep black eyes and that ghostly pale face. It was like something out of a horror movie. She'd seen pictures of Nakiri Azami before, of course she had, but seeing him in real life, standing before her with that picture perfect false smile…it had been a harrowing experience.

She felt a large hand on her shoulder and she turned, burying her face into her father's side as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Listen. Sweetie."

Joichiro sighed, running his other hand through her hair.

"I know. I know how you must feel; trust me I do. Sitting in the back seat's no fun. And think about it; it's even worse for me. I'm Sōma's dad. I'm supposed to be the one protecting him and making sure he's safe and I have to watch him go at this alone, just like you do. That…that hurts. It really does. But we have to do this. Sōma made his choice and he's seeing this through, one way or the other. We Yukihiras are stubborn like that."

Joichiro smiled, ruffling his daughter's hair. He tugged at her forelock playfully, earning himself a giggle and a swat to the offending hand.

"Right now, all we can do is be there for Sōma when he needs us. And I've got a feeling that's gonna be a lot sooner than he thinks. So sit tight, alright kiddo? No more harebrained schemes; I need you to look after mom once I'm back at Tōtsuki after all." He said, smiling.

"It's hard, Tou-san." She said softly, fisting her hands in Joichiro's night shirt. "I just…this thing that nii-chan's taken on…I…I believe in him. He can do anything. But…what if he can't this time, tou-san?"

Kumi's words were echoes of the exact same fears Joichiro held deep within his chest but on the outside, he smiled down at her and radiated confidence.

"This is Yukihira Sōma we're talking about, Kumi-chan. He'll be just fine, just you wait and see. Before you know it, Azami will be ancient history and we can go back to being the family we were before all of this craziness."

"But things will be different then, won't they Tou-san?" asked Kumi. "Because of that girl."

Joichiro frowned at the neutral, indifferent tone with which Kumi had said 'that girl'. He took a step back, placing his hands on his daughter's shoulders. She looked away from him, crossing her arms petulantly.

"Yukihira Kumi. I thought we were past this." He said sternly.

"You're past it. I'm not." She said shortly. "Nii-chan's risking what we have for some…some stranger."

"Erina is not a stranger." Said Joichiro. "She's family. You know that."

"Why? Because Kaa-san says so? I didn't say anything to her at the challenge but I didn't need to; it's obvious what kind of person she is." Said Kumi, folding her arms even more tightly. "A stuck up, selfish princess who's used to being waited on hand and foot. She probably has a million servants or something. She looks like the type."

"And how would you be judged, if you were judged based on your looks, Kumi-chan?" asked Joichiro simply.

Kumi paused, taken aback. She opened her mouth but then closed it again, at a loss for words.

Joichiro reached forward, tugging again at the pale white forelock that hung over her face. It stood in stark contrast to the rest of her hair that was a deep black. And her pale, white skin contrasted even more, giving her features that were almost ghost-like.

"You can't assume you know everything about someone just by looking at them. Erina's had a difficult life. Not in the material sense, yes. But money isn't everything and you know that. She's grown up alone, with no one but Senzaemon-sama at her side for ten years. And he tried; Kami knows he did. But even he could only do so much. Especially with Nakamura hanging over her life the way he did."

"I know you're probably feeling jealous. And a little selfish. You're nine and a half years old; that's perfectly normal. But is that worth not helping someone in need; not helping a member of our family that needs us?"

A new voice sounded, answering Joichiro's question.

"No, it's not. And Kumi knows that, don't you dear?"

Kumi frowned, turning to face her. She sighed, letting her hands fall to her side.

"I…I guess so, kaa-san." She admitted grudgingly. "But she better appreciate everything nii-chan's doing for her or I swear I'll…I'll…"

Kumi trailed off, as she tried and failed to come up with a suitable punishment. Joichiro chuckled, patting her on the head as he went to reclaim his seat at the family table where three breakfast sets were meticulously laid out.

"You'll think of something, Kumi-chan, I'm sure. For now, go and eat. I'll join you in a minute." Said her mother, tousling her daughter's hair as she walked past with a large grocery bag held in her arms. Her mother entered the kitchen and began placing groceries into the appropriate areas, humming softly to herself as she did so.

Kumi contemplated going to help before remembering that she was angry at her mother for punishing her. So instead, she went and sat down opposite her father, folding her legs neatly beneath her. She picked up her chopsticks and bowed her head briefly.

"Itadakimasu."

She began eating her rice, taking even, almost delicate bites of her food. She looked up at Joichiro, who was sitting with his legs folded, idly twirling his chopsticks around his fingers.

"You know kaa-san doesn't care if you wait on her to eat. I don't understand why you keep doing it." She said, cocking her head at him.

Joichiro shrugged, the wooden sticks dancing between his fingers as he continued to twirl them.

"I don't mind waiting. You can't properly share a meal with someone if yours is half gone by the time they start on theirs."

Kumi shrugged, continuing to methodically work her way through the modest breakfast spread.

Joichiro heard the pattering of feet behind him and turned to grin over his shoulder.

The woman had bright, rich blonde hair that just barely grew past her shoulder blades. Most of it was tied into a high ponytail although there were two bangs of it that curved around the side of her face, framing her cheeks in an endearing, though somewhat peculiar way. She had eyes the color of lilacs set into a regal face with high cheekbones.

She had the bearing of a noblewoman, though the jeans and pink t-shirt she wore didn't exactly fit such a description.

"Waiting on me again? I told you; there's really no need."

Joichiro shrugged, smiling warmly.

"And yet I still do it, every time. Maybe if someone would make their way to the table on time for once…"

The woman laughed, walking forward and sitting at the low table, folding her legs much like her daughter did.

"Guilty as charged, I suppose. Maybe one day I'll actually beat you to the table, huh?" She said, picking up her chopsticks.

Joichiro shrugged, pulling his apart with a snap as he grinned at her.

"Somehow I really doubt you will, Katsumi-chan."

* * *

 **A/N: As always, read and review! Lemme know your thoughts! I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter. Some important and subtle (and other not so subtle) hints were dropped after all!**


	30. Chapter 29

"That's…that's a lot to take in, Yukihira." Said Hayama. The white haired youth had a notepad in front of him, filled to the brim with notes in his crisp, clean handwriting.

Sōma nodded, looking the paper over and mentally ticking off each item as he racked his brain to figure out whether there was anything he'd left out. He hadn't told Hayama everything but he'd told him a good bit more than he had before. Some of the finer details of his treatment under Azami, along with his relation to Kumi, were left out. Along with a few other things.

But Hayama knew a lot now. He'd needed to, if he was going to be able to relay the information Sōma needed him to convey. Sōma knew he could trust him; Hayama was unwavering in his loyalty. At least to Shiomi Jun. As long as Sōma held the keys to the seminar, he would do what he asked.

Sōma felt a part of himself rankle at the manipulative train of thought but he accepted it as a necessary precaution. This was no time to let sentiment ruin things when they were so close to fruition.

"So do you think you can do this, Hayama?" asked Sōma, standing to his feet. "I know it's a lot to ask but I think you're the right person for this."

"And thanks to what happened an hour ago, you have plausible deniability for your presence here." Said Hayama, arching an eyebrow.

Sōma grinned, chuckling.

"You were always sharp, Hayama. But that doesn't change the fact that I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't trust you completely. And don't worry; I'll handle Azami. I won't let anything happen to the seminar while I'm around."

"I appreciate that, Yukihira." Said Hayama, getting to his feet as well. He extended a hand which the red head shook promptly. "Don't worry; I'll get started on this list right away. It may cut into my prep time for the fourth task, however."

"I know; I'm truly sorry about that. Luckily, you're not going to have much of a problem with that for this particular trial." Said Sōma. He reached into his jacket, withdrawing a set of folded pages from it that he handed to Hayama. Hayama took them carefully, opening them and eyeing the contents. His eyes widened slightly as he began reading them over in earnest.

Sōma remained quiet, allowing Hayama to leaf through the pages at his leisure.

"For something so important, I wouldn't expect it to just be casually stuffed into your jacket pocket like that Yukihira." Commented Hayama.

"I was in a rush; someone had made it clear that they needed my help right away after all."

"That I did." Said Hayama, nodding. He continued reading, making notes as he went along. It was only once he'd fully read through the papers twice that he handed them back to Sōma, who pocketed them once again.

"So we have three days then." Said Hayama. "That's not a lot of time."

"It's not; which makes it even more important that you get that information to Alice, Kurokiba and the rest of Polar Star as quickly as you can." Said Sōma.

"I'll go posthaste. You have my word." Said Hayama. "Though I think it would be prudent to wait until night falls to do so; I normally wouldn't want to disturb anyone's rest but considering the amount of subterfuge we're playing with here, it's probably necessary."

"I doubt it would require that level of deception, at least on your end. Azami has little reason to suspect you're anything but a member of Central, albeit a somewhat unwilling one." Pointed out Sōma.

"Hideki-san's arrival with that construction crew doesn't exactly fit that particular narrative though, Yukihira."

Sōma paused as he considered. That was true. Hayama hadn't done anything untoward in the several weeks since his loss to Sōma and the absorption of the Shiomi seminar into Central. On paper, there was absolutely no reason for Azami to shut it down. They'd performed their duties as usual, supplying exotic spices to both Tōtsuki itself and those that could afford to purchase them directly from the seminar. The Shiomi seminar, while not as flashy or large as some of the other sections of Tōtsuki, more than paid for its upkeep.

Something wasn't right.

But for the life of him, Sōma couldn't figure out what that was. And that worried him; Azami was a dangerous enough opponent when he knew what the man wanted. But to move forward with something as unprecedented and random as this…all without consulting Sōma, his loyal right hand.

No. Something definitely wasn't right.

Sōma pulled out his phone, dialing rapidly on it.

"Silence, Hayama." He ordered, his eyes cooling as he wrapped himself in the persona that he knew Azami would be expecting. He listened to the phone ring, waiting for the line to connect and for that dangerously pleasant, cool voice to resound in his ear.

Several rings passed before Sōma heard a click and an automated tone. He'd been sent to Azami's voicemail. The businessman didn't bother with personalizing it, choosing to leave the stock recording in place.

"Greetings, Azami-sama. I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience. I trust that Hideki-san has already informed you of our meeting at the Shiomi seminar; I do not doubt your decision making but I do feel that there are variables present with this situation that bear discussion."

Sōma hung up the phone, disquieted by the lack of response. It was rare for the headmaster to not answer; few had his personal cell phone number and those few were usually people worth responding to.

"By your expression, I take it that it's not a good sign that he didn't pick up?" asked Hayama.

"Not particularly, no." said Sōma. "I have to go. There's work for me to do. I will see you at the trial, Hayama-kun."

"I understand; best of luck, Yukihira."

"Same to you."

* * *

Sōma arrived back at the gates of the Nakiri mansion to find an unexpected visitor standing at them, blocking entry. She had her back turned to him and didn't turn, even as Sōma pulled up right next to her, turning his moped off with a touch.

"Tadokoro-san, good evening. Is there something I can help you with?"

Megumi didn't turn to face Sōma. She continue staring up at the large wrought iron gates. Eventually, she spoke, still facing away from Sōma.

"Is Erina-chan here, Sōma-kun?" she asked.

Sōma opened his mouth to respond but realized that he honestly didn't know. In hindsight, it was obvious that Azami would not permit Erina to return to the Polar Star dormitory. But he had no idea where she was; at the end of the third task, she'd been escorted away by members of Azami's security team, at her instruction. Sōma had inquired after her but Azami had assured him that there was no need for him to know and he had been unable to ask further without raising suspicion.

He wondered how to respond to Megumi but his silence seemed to have been answer enough.

Megumi sighed, shaking her head.

"I figured as much. More importantly…"

Megumi turned to face Sōma and the expression on her face made Sōma flinch internally, though the mask he wore on the surface didn't budge.

Megumi's eyes were red; her face was dry now but it was clear that she'd been crying. A lot.

"What happened to Erina-chan, Sōma-kun?" she asked.

"Tadokoro-san. I do not believe it is my place to divulge private family matters to-"

"No!"

The aggressiveness of Megumi's response surprised Sōma.

Megumi balled her fists up at her side, her shoulders shaking.

"That's…that's….that's bullshit!"

Sōma blinked, only barely resisting the urge to let his jaw hang in surprise as Megumi stepped towards him, grabbing him roughly by the lapels of his uniform jacket.

"I'm sick of this, Sōma-kun! I'm sick of all of the secrecy and the lies! I'm sick of losing people I care about to…to that horrible, horrible man!"

Megumi's eyes welled up with tears again but she only gripped Sōma's jacket even tighter.

"You once talked to me about family, Sōma-kun. Not people you just happened to be related to by blood but people you loved and cherished and cared for. And who felt the same about you in return. Erina-chan is my family, Sōma-kun. More than she ever was to that…that selfish monster! And I will stop at nothing to get her back, Sōma-kun! Do you hear me?!"

Megumi released Sōma's jacket, causing him to almost stumble back before catching himself. Megumi was panting, holding her hands to her chest as tears began to fall in earnest.

"Please…please if there's anything of you left in there Sōma-kun, anything at all…help me. Please. I'll do anything. I'll join Central; I'll fight a hundred shokugekis; I don't care what it is!"

"Tadokoro-san. Please. Control yourself." Said Sōma calmly, feeling his heart begin to race in his chest at seeing his friend in such distress. He yearned to reach out and hold her but he was conscious of the three security cameras placed along the top of the gate. He couldn't react to this; he couldn't afford to. "You are making a scene. Please calm down so that we can continue this discussion at a more appropriate time and place."

Megumi let out a broken laugh, covering her mouth as tears began to flow in earnest down her face.

"Sōma-kun…please. I'm…I'm begging you."

"Tadokoro-san…I'm unable to have this discussion with you." Said Sōma, mentally praying that Hayama made Megumi one of his first stops. He hated deceiving her. It made him feel almost physically ill.

At his words, Megumi sobbed, covering her mouth with one hand.

"This was a mistake. I shouldn't have come here. You don't even care. You just keep staring at me with those empty eyes."

At least that meant his disguise was holding up well. If someone as in touch with people as Megumi was fooled, then someone as emotionally disconnected as Azami was almost certainly fooled as well.

The burst of satisfaction he got at the thought caused another wave of guilt to crash over Sōma. He needed the ability to lie this effectively but that didn't mean he liked that he needed it. As always, none of the internal conflict showed on his face. He simply nodded.

"My apologies, Tadokoro-san. I wish you the best in resolving this situation as best you can for yourself."

Megumi let out another broken sob and turned, running down the driveway and away from Sōma. He watched her go, feeling the tightness in his chest throb with each beat of his heart as he watched one of his dearest friends flee from his presence. He felt the hand in his pocket clench reflexively and he allowed himself the small gesture until she'd gotten fully out of sight.

He then took a deep breath and turned to enter the mansion's gates. As he wheeled his moped inside, he couldn't help wondering.

Where _was_ Erina?

* * *

Erina stared listlessly out of the window, watching the city below her. Tokyo was a large, bustling metropolis and Erina watched as the city teemed with life below her. From this height, cars looked like beetles and people looked like ants. It made the city resemble one large, multifaceted organism as opposed to millions of people with their own goals and dreams.

Erina placed her hand on the glass, the material cool to the touch.

Each little dot down there was a person; an individual. A man or woman or child filled with life and purpose.

She didn't know why…but she wanted to join them. She wanted to go down and be among them; to walk away from this lavish hotel suite and away from…

A fog descended over Erina's mind and she pulled her hand away from the glass, placing it into her lap.

Perhaps she could convince Otou-sama to take her for a walk; he'd been very clear that she was not to leave the room without his permission.

Erina looked around at her surroundings; at the large, four poster bed and richly decorated walls. Paintings by famous artists hung about the room; each one probably worth more than the average person made in a year. The deep red curtains were thick and silky; their edges crisp and free of any wrinkle or stain. The loveseat she was perched on sat at the base of a large, expansive pane of glass, more mosaic than window, its glass inlaid with fine, gold accents.

Erina appreciated the decadence of her surroundings; it was what she deserved. She was the scion of the Nakiri household; the one set to inherit the keys to a dynasty that was almost as wealthy and expansive as that of the actual Japanese royal family. Her place was at the top of an immeasurably high pedestal; standing beside her father and above all others. This place was fitting. Appropriate. Part and parcel of the lifestyle she wan-needed. Yes, needed.

And yet…she found her dreams plagued, night after night. They weren't bad dreams; not that she could tell. There were no terrifying monsters or crippling fears. There was light, laughter, joy. Walls with faded, yellow paint and scuffs aplenty surrounding simple furniture. A yard filled with vegetables, obviously grown by loving hand. People…people she knew. People she recognized.

Ibusaki Shun. 1st year. Smoking specialist. Placed 5th in Block A of the Autumn Elections. Enjoys reading the shōjo manga _If Only You Were Mine_.

Yoshino Yuki. 1st year. Has an affinity for wild game dishes. Placed 7th in Block B. Has decided she'll never use Buta-chan in a dish, no matter how plump he gets.

Sakaki Ryoko. 1st year. Skilled with fermentation techniques. Placed 7th in Block A. Is fearful of not living up to her family's prestigious lineage and feels pressure because she's the oldest child and her father is very sick.

Zenji Marui. 1st year. Unparalleled knowledge of cooking. Placed 5th in Block A of the Autumn Elections. Knows exactly the kind of shampoo that works best with Erina's hair due to his mom forcing him to watch beauty shows with her.

Isshiki Satoshi. 2nd year. Former seventh seat of the Elite Ten Council. Possibly the best cook in his year. Enjoys working in the yard in nothing but a fundoshi. Has conducted classes with Erina at the DEF kitchen.

She knew these people. She could give detailed backgrounds on all of them; they were classmates in her year after all. But in these dreams…they seemed like more. They felt like more. Especially…

Tadokoro Megumi….Megumi-chan.

Erina felt the fog descend over her head and she gasped, reaching forward.

 _MEGUMI-CHAN!_

Her hand fell into her lap and Erina blinked, languidly. She felt strange. As if she'd just woken up, even though she'd been awake for hours upon end. She'd looked through the documents her father had provided her several times but chose to do so again. She told herself she was doing it to be familiar with the information. After all, these tastings were important. It would be the first tasting she'd done since…since…

Since her leave of absence. That's what her father called it. He told her that he'd seen fit to give her a break; free time from the pressures of being the Nakiri heiress. He said she'd enjoyed it and said it was quite fun but that she was ready to return.

Erina had nodded and agreed with her father. Because that was what she was supposed to do. Even though she felt that something wasn't right; even though her memories of her life were in a chaotic disarray.

When it came to facts; figures; information, she was perfectly fine. She could easily recite paragraphs of English flawlessly or do algebraic equations that she'd learnt just a few weeks ago in her math class. She could recite to her father what she'd had for lunch a month and a half ago; down to the very crumb. She could recall current events and news stories; a new Japanese space mission had been announced. It had been all over the news just last week.

But when she tried to grasp for anything beyond that; any sort of emotion or feeling attached to those things, she floundered. She recalled standing at her father's side and feeling happy as he announced to the class that she would be a judge for the third task. She remembered feeling confused at the odd redheaded boy's words. She remembered how pleased it made her to hear her father tell her he was proud of her as he sent her off with her security escort.

But she couldn't remember anything else. She couldn't remember anything she'd _felt_ before she'd woken up in her chair in that classroom before the third trial for the Elite Ten. She couldn't summon any sort of emotional connection to anything before that time. Not a coherent one anyway.

Her father had asked her in the hotel room later that night how she was feeling. And she told him she was feeling fine. Because she was. She did feel fine. Because she knew that her father wanted her to feel fine and she couldn't disappoint him. He'd done so much for her; he'd let their clients wait months while she was on her vacation just because he cared.

No, she couldn't worry him about this. He was busy enough as it was; she didn't want to waste his time.

But…but her father had also asked her to be honest with him. He'd made her promise to never lie to him.

No. She wasn't lying; she did feel fine. Yes. Yes she did.

She could handle this; whatever this was.

But maybe…maybe getting some answers wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Perhaps that odd boy would be able to help her. Yukihira Sōma. He was one of her father's most loyal advisors and one of the best students at Tōtsuki, both in grades and cooking prowess. And he'd already shown himself to be quite knowledgeable and firmly on her side. Azami's side.

Yes. She could ask him.

Erina reached for her cellphone but then remembered giving it to her father at the conclusion of the third task.

 _I want you to be focused, Erina. Cellphones are a distraction. Wouldn't you agree?_

Did she remember Yukihira Sōma's number? She thought hard, sifting through the information in her mind but nothing came to mind. Perhaps there was some other way to find his contact information. She didn't have a computer or anything similar but perhaps…

Erina got to her feet, striding swiftly over to the table and picking up the phone. She hit a single key and then waited. After a few rings, a friendly voice picked up.

"Greetings, Nakiri-san. You've reached Room Service. How can we help?"

"Hello. I need you to find someone for me."

There was a pause.

"Excuse me but can you clarify exactly what you need, Nakiri-san? I'll be more than happy to assist! I simply don't understand exactly what you're asking of me."

"There's someone I would like to speak to on the phone. But I don't have their number. My father told me to call you if I needed anything while he was out…"

"Ah, I understand! One moment please; I'll transfer you to Operating Services. They will be able to direct your call!"

One short hold period later and another voice, just as professional and friendly came onto the line.

"Greetings Nakiri-san, I'd be more than happy to help you! Is the person you're trying to contact listed in the phone book?" asked the cheerful voice.

"I…I'm not completely certain." Said Erina. She didn't mention that she wasn't even entirely sure what a phone book _was_.

"Well, that's no trouble! Let's start with a name then! May I have their first and last name?"

"Yukihira Sōma." She supplied.

"Alrighty then, just one second."

She heard several clicking and tapping noises, reminiscent of a keyboard. She'd expected to hear pages flipping; why would he ask about a book and then not consult one? She didn't understand but chose to remain silent; she had more important questions.

"Ok, nothing for Yukihira Sōma but I do have a listing here for a Yukihira Sumi. Perhaps there's some relation?"

"Perhaps." Said Erina, uncertain. She knew nothing about Sōma's family beyond his father. And his mother had passed away years ago. Her name was…Kumi. Yukihira Kumi.

"Would you like me to connect you?"

Sumi. Kumi. Sōma.

The similarity seemed too stark to be simple coincidence.

"Yes, please."

* * *

The old man sat in seiza before a low coffee table. He had silver hair that was arrayed in spikes around his head, still upright despite his age. Thick, gray eyebrows sat above sharp green eyes that glared at the steaming cup of tea before them. His hands were folded in the sleeves of the simple yukata he wore and he hummed, the noise low and almost threatening.

The young man seated across from him was sitting ramrod straight, his shoulders held upright. His white gi was scuffed and worn, though clean. If you looked closely, you could see the tremble that ran directly up his spine straight to the back of his head as the old man picked up the cup and placed it to his lips.

Blowing gently, the old man took a sip and then sighed, resting the cup back on the table.

"Yu-kun…"

The young man gulped.

"Yes, sensei?"

Like lightning, the old man lashed out, his hand coming forward and striking the young man directly on the forehead. The noise it made was audible and the young man flinched, doing his best to not cry out or reach up to clutch his head. He'd been struck more than once for moving during any of his teacher's chastisement.

"Again." Commanded the old man.

"Yes sensei! Right away!"

Bowing, the young man got to his feet, taking the cup away and almost sprinting through the open sliding door and out of the room.

The old man sighed and got to his feet but before he got far, the phone hanging on the wall nearby rang. He moved over to it, picking it up from the receiver. Clearing his throat noisily, he spoke.

"Yukihira Dojo, how can I help you?"

The voice of a young woman responded.

"Good day; I'm looking for Yukihira Sumi."

One of the old man's eyebrows arched, surprised. That was a name he hadn't heard in years and yet he still felt a pang in his chest at the mention of it.

"Well, I'm afraid that's not possible. I'm Yukihira Kinsei. Sumi was my wife and she passed away some time ago. Almost twenty eight years now, actually."

"Oh. I see. My sincerest condolences." said the unknown young lady.

"To be frank, you don't sound sincere at all." Said Kinsei.

"I…I beg your pardon?"

It was her voice. Kinsei could tell he was speaking to a young lady, not quite a woman but not a child either. But her voice sounded wrong. It sounded cold and distant; detached. But not in a stuck up, snobby sense, as if the girl was just another spoiled brat that only cared for herself.

She sounded like she didn't care about anything; herself included. There were answering machine recordings that had more life than her voice did. Mechanical didn't do it justice. More than that, the voice seemed familiar somewhat. Not the girl; he was sure he'd never spoken to her in his life. But her manner of speech; the complete lack of inflection and tone. It reminded him of something.

"Nothing." Said Kinsei, shaking his head. It wasn't any of his business. "Regardless, my wife isn't here. Is there something you needed? I doubt you were a friend of hers; you're much too young to have even met her."

"You're right. I did not know Yukihira Sumi. I'm searching for someone and I'd hoped that she would be able to put me in contact with them; this number is listed under her name."

"Ah, I see." Said Kinsei, rubbing his chin. That made sense. He'd never bothered to submit the paperwork after her passing to the phone company so it made sense that the number would still be listed under her name. "So who're you looking for, missy?"

"A boy by the name of Yukihira Sōma. He's a classmate of mine."

"Ah, Soso-chan." Said the older man, grinning. "That's my grandson. So you're one of those hotshots from that fancy cooking school huh?"

"Yes." Said the girl.

"That's wonderful; I've heard some pretty crazy stories from Joichiro-kun about that place. Good on you for sticking it out there."

"Thank you, Yukihira-san." Said the girl. The thanks, as with most of what she said, was hollow but Kinsei didn't pay it any mind. Maybe the girl was having a rough day.

"Let me see if I can find his number for ya; I've got it written down here somewhere."

He searched in the drawer below the phone, sifting through the myriad of knick knacks within for the pocket book that he used for phone numbers. His grandchildren had badgered him more than once about getting a mobile phone but he rejected the idea; pen and paper was just fine for him.

"So what's your name, girly?" he asked, finally seizing the little blue book from where it sat under a box of matches and a half empty pack of paper clips. He began thumbing through it, searching for the page affectionately marked "Grand babys"

"Nakiri Erina."

Kinsei's fingers stilled. The smile fell from his face as he instantly recalled just where he'd heard such a voice before. From someone else, almost ten years ago. From another Nakiri.

"Ah…can you repeat that? My hearing's not what it used to be." He said, his voice much less jovial than it was.

"My name is Nakiri Erina." She said.

"Oh…I see." Said Kinsei. "Can you give me a sec, Erina-chan? I'll give Soso-chan a call myself for you and then just bring you in onto the next line with my three way calling."

"What's three way calling?" she asked.

Kinsei resisted the urge to be the cliché old man that complained about the ignorance of kids these days and simply said "Never you mind, I'll be right back. Don't hang up, ok?"

He clicked over to the next line, punching in a number that he'd long memorized. After all, he spent enough time on the phone talking to his precious granddaughter. After a few rings, the phone was answered.

"Good afternoon, ojii-chan."

"Kumi-kun!" he responded, smiling. "How's my favorite granddaughter?"

The annoyed huff he got from the other line only made him smile more.

"I'm your _only_ granddaughter, ojii-chan. I'm the favorite by default."

"Still my favorite." He responded cheekily. "Now, admonish me later. This is important. Is your mother around?"

"Kaa-chan? Yes. She's in the living room. Would you like to speak with her?"

"Yes, I would. Tell her it's urgent." Said Kinsei. He heard the phone being set down and the distant sound of Kumi calling her mother. He waited until he heard the rustle that accompanied the phone being picked up and then he hit the flashing button on his phone before ending the call.

He placed the phone back onto the receiver and stared at it briefly, wondering if he'd made the right decision. Wondering if it had even been his decision to make.

The old man shrugged, returning to his seat at his table.

It was done now. Joichiro would probably yell at him once he found out about it. But he knew he wouldn't be losing any sleep over having a small hand in reconnecting a mother with her daughter.

* * *

"Hi, Ojiisan. Kumi said you needed to speak with me?" said Katsumi. She expected to hear the warm, if somewhat stern tone of Joichiro's father in law but instead heard something completely different.

"My apologies; I am not Kinsei-san."

It was the voice of a girl. Probably a teenager if Katsumi had to guess. But she wasn't entirely sure; the voice was so cool and stoic. It didn't sound like the voice of a child; at least not the way a child should sound anyway. Perhaps it was the phone line; if she had been connected to them through the Yukihira dojo, then the connection couldn't be that good. They lived in Niigata, after all, and the dojo was on the outskirts of Kyoto.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought my father-in-law was on the phone. I suppose my daughter got things mixed up. Did you need something young lady?" asked Katsumi.

"Yes. I'm looking for someone. Kinsei-san told me that he was dialing them on the phone for me though I confess I'm not certain how he planned to connect us."

"Three way calling, most likely." Said Katsumi, rolling her eyes. "That old man is fond of technology from a bygone era; he'll take any excuse to use it. Be that as it may, were you looking for Kumi-chan perhaps? Are you one of her friends from school?"

"No. I was looking for someone else."

"At this address?" asked Katsumi, perplexed.

"I'm not sure." She responded.

"Well, it's just me and my daughter here, though her father visits from time to time. Were you looking for him, by chance?" She said.

"No, I'm not. I suppose this is the wrong address then. I'm sorry for troubling you." Said the young woman.

"It was no trouble at all. Have a nice day…"

It then occurred to Katsumi that she didn't even know the girl's name.

"Ah, I'm so sorry for being so impolite. My name's Yukihira Mitsuka. What's yours?" she asked.

"Nakiri Erina."

Katsumi froze. Her entire body went rigid and it was only thanks to the support of the wall that served as the phone's resting place that she didn't fall to the floor completely. She fell to her knees, holding the phone receiver to her ear. Tightly. Painfully, even.

"Are you still there Yukihira-san?" asked Erina.

Katsumi swallowed, her free hand finding its way to her chest where she felt her heart beginning to thump at a speed that didn't even seem possible. She felt a pounding in her ears with each beat, almost completely drowning out the noise of the outside world. She licked her lips, responding breathily.

"Erina…?" she whispered.

"Yes. My name is Nakiri Erina. I'm a classmate of Yukihira Sōma's and I'd hoped to find him at this address." She said.

Katsumi barely heard her. She simply listened to the voice of the girl – _her daughter_ – coming through the receiver.

"Erina…sweetie…"

Katsumi felt tears, unbidden, begin to flow from her eyes and fall onto her skirt. She made no move to wipe them away.

"Erina, honey. It's…it's me."

There was a pause from the other end of the line.

"Yukihira-san, are you alright?" asked the girl. Her empty tone only proceeded to make Katsumi sob, a hand going to cover her mouth. She'd heard from Joichiro what had happened; he'd told her everything even though he'd warned her several times that she wouldn't like what she heard. She'd cried for the rest of the night, sobbing into her pillow as she thought of her eldest daughter.

But to hear her voice...to hear her voice after ten long years. And to hear it like…like _that_. So devoid of life. So, so like hers was, all those years ago…

It broke her heart all over again.

"Yukihira-san. You do not sound well. Perhaps I should allow you to go and…"

"NO!"

The half strangled cry burst from her lips. Katsumi clutched the receiver with both hands, as if trying to keep Erina on the line through sheer force of will.

"Please. No. Just…stay. Don't go. Not yet."

"I do not understand. Is something wrong?" Said Erina, the confusion in her voice the first clear emotion she'd shown throughout the entire conversation.

"Erina…I'm…You don't recognize me?" she asked.

"My sincerest apologies but I do not recognize your voice, no. Have we met in the past?" she asked.

Katsumi opened her mouth. Words ready to spill from her lips. But she heard a voice behind her.

"Kaa-chan, is everything alright?"

Katsumi wiped at her eyes, looking over her shoulder at Kumi and smiling hastily.

"Everything's fine dear, I just slipped. Nothing to worry about."

The flat stare Kumi gave her showed that she didn't believe the paper thin excuse but she simply huffed, exiting the room once again.

Katsumi returned her attention to the receiver.

"Erina. Are you still there?" she asked, trying and failing to hide the desperation in her tone.

"Yes, I am."

Katsumi smiled, happy despite the pain it caused her to hear her eldest child so…so cold. So like her father.

"Good. Good, sweetie. Listen to me. I'm…"

The words stilled in her throat. What could she say? What _should_ she say? The smart thing to say would be nothing. She should simply apologize and wish Erina a good day and hang up the phone. She clearly had no idea who she was.

This was dangerous. She knew that; it's why she'd left in the first place. It's why she hadn't had any contact with her daughter, despite pestering Joichiro for updates on her and her condition every time he visited, even before he'd started teaching at Tōtsuki.

She'd thirsted for every little bit of information he could give her. Who were her friends? Was she eating well? Was she happy? Was she sad? Was she dating anyone? Was she a good student? How long was her hair now?

Joichiro had grown exasperated with her more than once but he'd never failed to answer or find out the answer to any of her questions; no matter how small or meaningless. He'd seen the way it made her light up to learn about her daughter, even if it was from afar.

Katsumi had struggled with keeping her distance; she'd picked up the phone over a hundred times and contemplated calling Erina. She didn't have her phone number, Joichiro wouldn't give it to her, but she could've found a way. She knew she could've.

And when she'd moved to Polar Star…when Joichiro had come, just a few weeks after she'd officially moved in, and regaled her with how happy she was; how much fun she was having, Katsumi had been unable to resist. In the dead of night, she'd snuck into the living room and called the dormitory. She'd expected a directory. Instead she'd gotten the cranky, tired voice of Daimido Fumio.

She'd quietly explained that she was Erina's mother and that she wanted to speak to her daughter.

Fumio hadn't believed her and so she'd gone on to give the woman details. And details. And even more details. The more she spoke, the more swept up she got in her emotions until, before she knew it, she'd given Fumio the full story; the story known only to a select few for fear of what would happen if word ever managed to reach Azami's ears.

Katsumi begged for Fumio's silence and Fumio had assured her that hers was not the first tragic tale she'd taken in confidence. She'd raised dozens of teenage girls in her time as the Polar Star Maria. She wouldn't tell a soul. But, before she went and awoke Erina and brought her to the phone, she had one thing to say to Katsumi.

 _Katsumi-san…speaking as both a woman and a mother, I would like to ask you one question. If you speak to Erina-chii right now. If you hear her voice and listen to her words, be they happy or sad or angry…do you think you'll be able to keep yourself from running straight back to her?_

Fumio went to get Erina, claiming a food critic from America was on the phone for her. But by the time they arrived to the phone, it was to a dead line.

Hanging up then had been one of the hardest things Katsumi had ever done. And right now, in this moment, she knew it had been the smart thing to do. Because Fumio was right. Hearing Erina's voice…even this cold, empty version of it…it touched every single part of Katsumi's heart and she felt the words spilling from inside of it, no matter how her brain tried to stem the tide.

"It's me Erina-chan. It's your mother. Nakiri Katsumi. I'm here baby. I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry for leaving you all of those years ago. I love you; I love you so much! I know that probably doesn't mean much to you right now, I know you're probably still furious at me and you deserve to be!"

Katsumi's tears came anew as she thought of the turmoil she'd caused her daughter; as she thought of the cold fury that Sōma had told her he'd received when he so much as said her name.

"You have every right to be mad. But I'm here now baby, and I promise. We're going to save you, Erina. We're going to get you away from that terrible, terrible wretch of a man! Just wait a little longer, please. I swear. I love you so much. I love you so, so much, do you hear me! I've missed you every single day for the last ten years."

Katsumi sobbed, continuing to speak through her tears as she wiped her eyes with one hand.

"I wish I was there with you right now; I wish I could hold you in my arms and tell you everything is going to be okay. I wish I could tell you every single thing I've been wanting to tell you since the last time I saw you. And I will! Oh I swear I will. And I don't care if you hate me for the rest of your life, I am never leaving you alone again, do you hear me Erina? Never!"

By the end, Katsumi had almost been shouting. She panted as she tried to catch her breath, holding the phone to her ear. She heard a slight shuffling noise; movement. She could practically see her daughter on the other end of the line. Even in her current state, she was probably stunned and left speechless by her sudden tirade. She was probably staring at the phone at a loss for words. Katsumi tried to be patient but the continued silence quickly became too much for her to bear.

"Erina?" she said.

There was a pause. And then a response.

"I'm afraid my daughter is unable to come to the phone right now."

The cool, measured male voice sent a shot of ice straight into Katsumi's stomach. Her vision blurred as she heard the one person she'd hoped to never speak to again for as long as she lived. Her head swam as she leaned against the wall, gasping for breath as she heard something else.

The chime of a bell.

"It's very convenient that these rooms come equipped with these little service bells. I'd worried at my ability to find one but your little speech gave me ample time to. I came in at the part where you described me as a 'wretch of a man' or something to that effect."

Azami's tone was light, almost jovial, as if Katsumi's words were nothing but a joke.

The bell chimed again and Katsumi felt herself stumble against the wall, her legs giving out completely as she fell to the floor. The receiver was still clutched in a death grip to her ear and she was unable to move it away, no matter how she tried. It was as if the ice that was slowly beginning to fill her mind had the phone held fast to her ear.

"I used simple hand noises with Erina and Sōma-kun; much simpler and accessible than finding some device to act as their trigger accessory. I learnt that from my time spent with you, Katsumi. It was quite unseemly having to cart a bell around in my pocket everywhere we went."

The bell chimed a third time and Katsumi stilled, her lilac eyes glazing over.

"I'll be seeing you soon, Katsumi. It's been too long."

Azami's tone was soft. It could almost be mistaken for sweet. If you'd never heard an actual human being try to be sweet, that is.

" _ **Ursprünglich.**_ "

* * *

 **A/N: Bit of a short chapter this week but I didn't want to get into anything else after what I felt was a very appropriate time to end the chapter. Please read, review and let me know what you think of this particular development! I've been waiting to spring this on you guys for ages. Posting a bit early just cuz!**


	31. Chapter 30

Azami placed the phone down, smiling to himself. It was a pleased, indulgent expression that he didn't often take. But there was just cause this time.

Katsumi had disappeared out of his and Erina's lives over ten years ago. One day, he'd come home and she'd simply been gone. A few of her things were missing, likely taken with her, but the vast majority of her possessions were left behind. He'd attempted to track her down, of course he had. She was his wife; he'd been worried. He was concerned that she'd been abducted against her will; she was a prime target for ransom considering her status and position as the Nakiri heiress.

But a brief discussion with Senzaemon had convinced him otherwise.

The old man had told him that Katsumi had left of her own free will; he didn't know where she went or why she did but she'd departed and left everything of her old life behind. Including her daughter.

Azami hadn't believed him; he'd known his wife. She wouldn't simply vanish like some wraith. He was confident in that. He'd had her too well trained; too well conditioned to do something so rash and deviant. And that wasn't even to mention what feelings she had towards their daughter. He'd argued against him but Senzaemon had shut him down at every turn, sticking firmly to his story and not offering Azami the slightest foothold.

Azami had hired several investigators to try and track down his errant spouse but they'd had no luck. It was as if she'd simply vanished from her room in the mansion one day. There were no traces online of her presence; no attempts to access to any of her bank accounts and no mention of anyone going by that name. Even as the expense grew and the search net expanded, Azami had continued. He knew something would turn up eventually.

But then Senzaemon had banished him and he'd lost access to the prodigious resources of the Nakiri name and been forced to amass his own fortunes. An endeavor that had taken him the better part of ten years. In that time, he'd been lax in his search for Katsumi but he'd still sent out the occasional feeler and always got the same response; nothing.

He knew Katsumi. He knew she wouldn't have been able to keep herself this well-hidden for this long without some form of outside assistance. But he'd investigated all of her close acquaintances (not that she'd had very many between her status and his pushing her to focus solely on him and their family) and nothing had been amiss. Whoever was helping her was doing an amazing job, he had to admit.

But that was all over now, thanks to his foresight. It was funny, really. He'd asked the hotel to notify him if there were any outgoing calls from Erina's room because he wanted to filter her contact with the outside world. She was still fragile, only having recently been triggered, and it was important for both her mental health and his plans that she be kept in strictly controlled conditions. So when he'd gotten the alert from the front desk, he'd raced upstairs and walked into the room just in time to see Erina staring into space, the receiver held close to her ear. She hadn't responded when he called and so he'd plucked it from her unresisting hands, assuming it was perhaps Alice attempting to interfere with his daughter once more.

But what he'd gotten instead was much, much more than he'd bargained for. He'd barely had the chance to place the phone on speaker and track down the bell but he'd been fortunate. And now it was only a matter of time before Katsumi made her way back to him.

Azami chuckled, shaking his head. He'd never forgotten about Katsumi but he was forced to admit that she'd certainly taken a backseat in his thoughts as of late. He had much more important things to focus on; after all, it was Erina, not Katsumi, that controlled the destiny of the Nakiri now. Katsumi had lost that privilege years ago, thanks to her prolonged absence. Senzaemon had been forced to disown her, at least publicly so because, as far as the world knew, she was missing. And Senzaemon had been pushed to name Erina as his heir apparent in her place, which he'd done after some protracted debate

Which meant that having both Erina and Totsuki in hand pushed Azami that much closer to being in position to reshape the Japanese cuisine industry into its ideal image. Just a few more pieces needed to be put into place and then nothing would be able to stop him.

"Erina, dear." Said Azami.

Erina didn't move. She continued staring at the wall, her eyes blank and her mind clearly very far away. Azami placed his hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. Her body rocked with the motion but she didn't react otherwise. Azami placed his hand on his chin, frowning. He'd been so caught up in his excitement with Katsumi that he hadn't thought to consider just what kind of impact such a thing would have on Erina.

As far as he knew, she hadn't spoken to her mother since she'd left years previously. He knew there were unresolved feelings there but he'd presumed they would be a non-issue. Katsumi had seemed content to stay out of their lives and he was content to let her. Until he deigned to track her down, that is.

Azami gently shook Erina's shoulder again.

"Erina. Erina, your father is speaking to you." He said firmly, putting just the right amount of authority into his voice.

Erina jolted, swiveling her head back and forth. She looked around before looking up at Azami.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Erina swallowed before opening her mouth to speak.

"H-Hai, Otou-sama." She said haltingly. "I was…I was surprised by my conversation with K-K…Katsumi-san. I'm sorry for ignoring you."

"It's quite alright." Said Azami, smiling. He patted her on the shoulder in what was meant to be a gesture of comfort. "That must have been shocking for you, wasn't it? My apologies that you had to go through that."

Azami went to say more but his phone rang, cutting him off. He looked at the screen and frowned softly.

"Excuse me, I must take this. I'll be back in just a moment, Erina."

Azami crossed the room and stepped into the adjoining suite. Only after shutting the door behind him did he raise the phone to his ear and hit the answer key.

"Saiba-senpai. Greetings."

"Howdy, Nakamura. I heard you were trying to get in touch with me?" said Joichiro, his voice light. "Sorry I was doing some exploration of the countryside; cell service isn't the greatest out here."

"I understand." Said Azami. "Be that as it may, my calls were of a rather urgent nature. But I suppose what's done is done."

"Yup. Bygones and all that. So what'd ya need?" asked Joichiro.

"I was just informing you that you were fired." Said Azami. The silence that met his declaration caused Azami to smile ever so slightly.

"Fired, huh?" asked Joichiro. "That eager to be rid of me?"

"Oh no, Saiba-senpai. That's a decision you made when you so recklessly allowed my daughter to wager your tenure on that farce of a shokugeki she had with your son." Said Azami tightly, his voice hated. On some level, he despised how much power those informal little cook-offs had within the confines of Tōtsuki. But Senzaemon's bylaws were quite clear and ironclad and none were moreso than the school's rules regarding Shokugekis. They held true power at Tōtsuki and this was reflected in every aspect.

Even with months as the new Director, he'd only managed to make a few select changes. And even those had required much of the goodwill he'd had with Tōtsuki's administrative board. They'd been worth it though.

"I see, I see. So I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you fired me on the day of the third Elite Ten trial huh?"

"That's correct, Saiba-senpai. Did one of my missives notifying you actually reach you?" queried Azami.

"Nah. But I heard that Erina and you were back on speaking terms by the start of that task. So I figured that's when it had to happen. For all that you bend and stretch the rules, you rarely outright break your word." Said Joichiro.

"Thank you, Saiba-senpai. I do try." Said Azami.

"It wasn't a compliment." Responded Joichiro. "It just means that you like to give people just enough rope to hang themselves with. You like to watch them squirm."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean." Said Azami, shaking his head. He didn't like to watch people squirm; he rarely had the time or inclination for petty sadism. It was beneath him.

"Whatever. Is that all you needed?" asked Joichiro.

"Yes, that's all. For now, anyway. Though I must say, you are taking this news rather well. Based on your son's reaction, I had assumed yours would be a bit more…emotional."

"I'm sure you did. But unlike Sōma, I've known you for years, Azami. I'm not dumb enough to give you anything to use against me, no matter how small." Said Joichiro.

"So your son doesn't fall into that category then?" asked Azami lightly. The answering pause was answer enough.

"Goodbye, Nakamura."

With a click, the call disconnected and Azami chuckled, placing the phone into his pocket. He'd tried to resist but the opportunity to jab at his former senpai was simply too great to pass up. And the joke had been rather funny, in his opinion. And _maybe_ he was still rather angry; despite all he was doing for him, Saiba was so unappreciative. He'd been brought low and made weak by his marriage to that wretched woman.

Yukihira Kumi…even now, her name annoyed him. She'd been a constant thorn in his side. She'd stood in the way of him meeting Katsumi for months. For months, she'd vehemently threatened her then-boyfriend to never let him anywhere near the Nakiri heiress after their first meeting. Despite the fact that Azami had been nothing but kind and polite to her; his dislike for her and her uncouth ways perfectly hidden behind his façade. Even after he'd started dating Katsumi, he was sure the Yukihira was still doing her best behind the scenes to turn Katsumi against him.

That woman had an almost eerie ability to see straight through him. She'd identified parts of Azami that he hadn't even known were there until years later when he grew into the person he was now. It was only now, with the benefit of age and hindsight that he could retroactively see that almost everything Kumi had accused him of was actually true. She'd known him better than he'd known himself at that time. An impressive feat for someone as guarded as he was. He would've been impressed if he wasn't so irked with what she'd done to his beloved senpai. And what she'd attempted to do to his marriage.

Luckily, as years had passed, he'd been able to convince Katsumi to leave the other woman behind. After one particular incident, he'd even managed to have her banned from Tōtsuki grounds and, by extension, the Nakiri manor. It had only been a matter of time then until Katsumi's correspondence with her became limited to Christmas cards. And even those were little more than lip service, composed and sent out by servants.

Azami shook his head, breaking himself from his nostalgia. It was rare that he allowed himself to be caught up in reminiscence but he felt justified. Today was a surprisingly auspicious day. He couldn't be blamed for indulging himself just a little.

Azami chuckled, pocketing his phone and reentering his daughter's suite.

"My apologies, Erina. That was Saiba-senpai and I…"

Azami paused as he noticed the chair where she'd been sitting absent. He looked around the room, puzzled before calling Erina's name again. When silence was the only response he received, Azami marched around the room, checking each adjoining room and bathroom.

It took him very little time to determine that his daughter was nowhere to be found.

* * *

Erina walked among the streets of Tokyo, doing her best to make her way through the crowd without shoving or being unduly shoved in return. It was a difficult task, much more so than she'd expected but she welcomed the challenge. It helped to distract her from the chaos in her mind. Over and over, she kept replaying what she'd heard from…from her mother.

A woman she'd come to loathe and love in equal measure for the better part of a decade. Even as a misled child, who'd thought herself deserving of her father's punishments, she knew on some level that they weren't that of a loving parent. And so she'd grown to resent the only other parent she had for leaving her. Her feelings of resentment had only grown once her father had left. She'd had…mixed feelings towards his departure. On one hand, there was untold relief at no longer being subjected to his… _lessons_ …but on the other hand, the love she felt for her father was still there and she couldn't help but feel as if he was abandoning her too.

Her grandfather had tried; no one knew that more than Erina. He'd been there for her as much as he could but even that felt like little time to a girl of her age. He'd been kept busy managing both the Nakiri Empire and Tōtsuki. Even with Alice's father taking up much of the slack, there was only so much Sōe could do from his position halfway across the world.

As a result, she'd mostly been raised by a retinue of serving staff that had been only too eager to please and cow to her will. Erina had taken up her role gladly, shoving down her true feelings and doing her best to act the part of the Nakiri heiress. She'd evaluated dishes, conducted herself with decorum and been every bit the proper lady that she thought she was supposed to be as opposed to the child she actually was. Were it not for Hisako's introduction into her life at an early age, she didn't know what she would've done.

The thought of her former aide made Erina's heart ache and she stopped, swaying slightly as she held her head. Her mind was still a muddled mass of confusion; she hadn't expected to be free from the cage she'd been trapped in so suddenly and so swiftly but her mother's impassioned tirade had done something to the younger, chained version of Erina that had been her warden and her father's staunchest defender. The young girl now sat in a ball, crying to herself in the very cage that the elder Erina had found herself imprisoned inside of. Erina could see it clearly in her mind, as if she was looking at a picture.

It had been a shock to suddenly jolt to her senses after so long without so much as the will to even move in her own mind. The shackles her father had instilled in her so long ago still held firm and the appearance of her younger self; an Erina that still very much loved her father and thought he could do no wrong had been more than apt to restrain her.

But that younger Erina was a child. And every child yearns for their mother, no matter how much they may claim to hate them. And Katsumi's voice had done what Erina herself had failed to do, no matter how she'd tried and Erina was now back in control of herself. She'd taken the opportunity for what it was and immediately escaped from her father, moving as fast as her legs could carry her down the hotel stairs and out to the streets of Tokyo.

She had no idea how long she would remain in control; the younger Erina still wept within the cage but who knew for how long that would be. Erina found it odd that she didn't feel more compassion or sympathy for her younger self. She didn't feel anger either; she was simply ambivalent. She watched her younger self cry endlessly and all she could think was that she hoped she'd continue crying so that Erina was not the one put back in that cage.

This wasn't her. She knew she wasn't the most empathetic of people but she was not one to simply accept a child's suffering. There was more to this, she was sure of it. But she didn't understand what was going on. She needed answers; a way to fix whatever her father had done and she could only think of one person that would be able to help her.

Yukihira Sōma…

She thought back to the boy who'd worn so many different masks since he'd returned from his...time away. She hadn't fully grasped just what had occurred but this latest harrowing experience had made everything crystal clear to her. Yukihira Sōma had been split, much as she had, and he'd managed to find his way back. For some time anyway.

She thought back to the emotionless, passionless Sōma that had laid waste to Tōtsuki in her father's name. And then she thought back to the smiling, lighthearted boy that had answered her and Megumi's questions. And then she thought back to the hollow shell that had been her fellow judge during the third task.

She paused, halting her walk.

That was right…she'd almost forgotten. Sōma had been corralled back to her father's side just as easily as she'd been. She didn't know the finer details but her father had implied it to be certain with the cool confidence that she knew meant he was completely serious. And for all that he'd been informative, Sōma had been subservient, docile and completely beholden to her father from what little she'd observed of their interaction.

If she approached him for help, she knew he would immediately contact her father.

But who else could she approach? She had no idea how much time she had before her other self-reasserted control. She had no idea how to stop her either; from the moment her father had uttered those words, she'd lost all say in the matter. She'd been completely paralyzed. She needed more information; there had to be someone that knew something.

Unbidden, a memory came to her mind. One tinged with shock and fear and sadness. But it was not her emotions she concerned herself with; it was the content of the memory.

 _I could care less if he subjected every single student here to the same kind of training he put you and Sōma-kun through._

The memory angered her but more importantly, it made her realize that perhaps there was someone else she could ask. Someone she knew whose loyalty to her father was circumstantial at best. It was risky but she preferred a risk of being turned in by Kobayashi Rindō than the near certainty of being turned over to her father by Sōma.

* * *

"Thank you, sir. Are you sure you don't require payment? I assure you my friend would be able to compensate you…"

"Relax, lass!" said the cab driver, smiling at her. "I'll get to tell people I had _the_ Nakiri Erina in my cab. That'll definitely drive up business."

"You flatter me, sir." Said Erina, smiling softly and nodding as she exited the taxi. "Have a good day then."

With one last honk of his horn, the taxi driver pulled away and left Erina standing at the gate to a modest, two story house. The house itself was only barely visible as the yard in front of it was quite expansive. Scattered across it were several plants and trees, all at various stages of growth. They were all fruits and vegetables and the collection was eclectic and almost without order. Pumpkins grew alongside squash while chili peppers grew in the shade of small apple trees. It grated against Erina's more ordered sensibilities but she ignored it, marching through the gate and up the small pathway to the front door.

She knocked briskly and was rewarded with the door opening almost immediate to reveal the grinning face of the Second Seat of the Elite Ten Council.

"Erina-chan! Hi there!"

Rindō engulfed the younger girl in a hug, affectionately rubbing her cheek to the other girl's. Erina bore it with stoic dignity, choosing to ignore the girl's exuberance.

"Greetings, Rindō-senpai." She said.

"I must admit; I was surprised to get your call! You've never visited me before but all of a sudden you want to sit down for tea? Plus I heard Azami-sama's in a right fit searching for you as we speak." said Rindō.

Erina stilled, widening her eyes but Rindō laughed, taking the girl by the wrist and pulling her inside.

"Relax, Erina-chan. My curiosity outweighs my desire to be a good little soldier so you're safe."

The 'for now' was implied by the devilish edge to Rindō's smile as she ushered the girl into the living room of her house.

She sat down on a chair across from Erina, who took it upon herself to perch on the edge of the coach. Rindō rested her elbows on her knees, placing her chin in her cupped hands as she stared at Erina.

"So what can I do for ya? I'm assuming you didn't stop by just to say hi right?" asked Rindō, tilting her head.

Erina took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she wondered if this was the right decision. She'd thought her decision over several times on the way over but she hadn't been able to come up with anything better. And though her younger self remained in the cage, she'd stopped sobbing some time ago and simply remained curled into a ball, her hands wrapped around her knees. The chains around her wrist clinked every so often as she shivered. There was no telling when she would try and reassert control. She needed to do this now.

Erina opened her eyes.

"I have a problem. And I'm willing to pay whatever price you have if you can help me solve it."

Rindō blinked twice before grinning, her smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Oh…interesting. Tell me more."

And so Erina did.

And Rindō nodded along, stopping her every so often to ask a question but for the most part letting the heiress speak.

Once she was done, Rindō hummed thoughtfully and told Erina to wait. She left the living room for several minutes, causing Erina to wonder if the girl had changed her mind about reporting her to her father, but Rindō soon reentered with two steaming cups of tea. Handing one to her guest, Rindō took a seat, sipping slowly on the hot beverage for a minute or two more before deigning to speak.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you, Erina-chan." Said Rindō, shaking her head.

"Why not?" asked Erina, her voice tight. "All I'm asking for is more information."

"Oh, I have that in spades, I assure you. But you need a more urgent form of help. And any information I give you could prove troubling, if not outright counterproductive. So it's best I let you go into this blind, so to speak."

"Into what blind?" asked Erina carefully, furrowing her brow.

"Oh, you'll see what I mean soon. For now, just drink your tea. It's a blend I created myself based on a lovely little leaf I found in Tibet. The monks there swear by its mind cleansing properties."

Erina frowned but raised her teacup regardless. She sniffed at the steam wafting from it, blowing gently on the surface of the tea, before taking a sip. She analyzed the flavor as the tea spread across her tongue, her palate going to work seamlessly as she….

Wait.

Erina took another sip, feeling the warm liquid wash over her tongue once more. She tried to ascertain what type of tea leaf Rindō had used or perhaps how much sugar had been put into the tea but she wasn't able to. Erina took another sip, her tongue moving around and examining the liquid from all angles a third time but having just as much impact as the first two sips.

It was only after Erina had completely drained the tea cup that she began to grasp just what was wrong.

"I…I can't taste this."

Rindō blinked at Erina, still only halfway through her own cup of tea.

"Pardon me, Erina-chan?" she asked.

"Your tea...it's…I can't…"

Erina struggled to form words as the magnitude of what she'd just discovered began to wash over her.

"I can't taste it. I can't taste your tea, Rindō-senpai."

Rindō pouted exaggeratedly.

"Is that some sort of joke? Are you calling my tea flavorless? Because I'll have you know it's gotten rave reviews elsewhere, Ms. God's Tongue."

The mention of her gift, her special talent, the thing that had defined her for as long as she could remember made Erina begin to quiver. She couldn't taste the tea. Aside from being able to tell that the tea was rather hot, her tongue had given her no other sensory information. Tasting was an ingrained part of who she was; a single taste was all she needed to give a thorough, comprehensive breakdown of anything placed on her plate, from gourmet dishes of the highest quality to fare of the most common.

But now, for the first time in living memory, her tongue had failed her. It had failed her completely. Rindō's tea could have tasted like ash and Erina would have been none the wiser. What was happening to her?

"No, Rindō-senpai. It wasn't that. I'm…I'm unable to taste things, it seems."

Despite the icy pit that had developed in her stomach as she drank her tea, Erina found that she was remarkably calm all things considered. The loss of something as integral to her as her divine palette should have been an experience so terrifying it bordered on traumatic. But though Erina did indeed feel fear and concern, it was nowhere near the levels to which she would've expected.

"Nakiri Erina? The God's Tongue? Unable to taste things?" queried Rindō, tapping her chin. "If I had to guess, I would say you've got the little brat in your head to thank for that, Erina-chan. Can't think of any other reason your tongue would be on the fritz."

"What do you mean?" asked Erina.

"Well…" Rindō paused. "I'll explain that later, if I have to. Remember, I don't want to give you more information than necessary, counterproductive and all that."

"That's not a statement that fills me with confidence, Rindō-senpai. Especially considering your more…fanciful proclivities." Said Erina, her expression hard. "My tongue not working is of great concern to me and I would like to know the cause. Sooner rather than later."

Rindō didn't waver in the face of Erina's stern countenance. She simply smiled, continuing to sip at her tea.

"I'm sure you would. But good things come to those who wait."

Erina glowered at Rindō but if the older girl was affected, she gave no sign. She simply continued to smile contentedly and give Erina the little infuriating smirk that she'd patented for toying with those whose buttons she knew how to push.

A knock at her door caused Rindō to perk up, turning away from Erina's glare.

"Now I wonder who that could be?" asked Rindō in a singsong voice. She got to her feet. "Just a minute!"

Rindō walked towards the door, exiting Erina's line of sight but Erina could still clearly hear her.

"Hi there! You got here pretty quick; thanks for rushing on over."

"You said it had to do with Erina-chan. What is it?"

The familiar voice sent a jolt through Erina's heart and she gasped. She looked up towards the hallway, where she could hear the steps of the person Rindō had invited inside.

"Go on into the living room; I think you'll want to see this for yourself."

The person continued walking and Erina's heart began to beat faster and faster as she waited, staring at the door to the hallway, her eyes wide. She'd stood to her feet in anticipation, though she felt as if she could barely feel her legs.

As the person rounded the corner, their eyes met and they both froze, gasping in unison.

Tadokoro Megumi stared into the eyes of Nakiri Erina for several seconds, her mouth opening and closing, her expression one of sheer shock. The two girls looked at each other, neither speaking.

Erina had only barely laid eyes on Megumi before she felt her heart start to pound almost painfully in her chest. She felt a pressure behind her eyes but no tears came and she simply continued to stare at the other girl; she hadn't realized how much she'd missed her, even though it had only been a day since they'd seen each other.

Suddenly, Erina felt her world begin to spin. She swayed, struggling to stay on her feet but several seconds later, her eyes went blank and she crumpled to the floor.

* * *

With a gasp and a sudden jerk, the world was righted and Erina no longer stood in Rindō's living room.

Erina recognized the place she stood. It was the same place that she'd been seeing the sobbing image of her younger self in her mind's eye all morning. The cage was gone however, as was the crying. The younger Erina glared up at her older counterpart, her eyes red rimmed from tears.

 **What are you doing?**

Erina blinked down at the younger girl, tilting her head to the side.

"What do you mean?"

 **Don't play dumb; Otou-sama told us not to leave. So why are we here?**

Erina frowned.

"I shouldn't have to explain it to you; you would remember it even better than I."

The childlike Erina flinched as the space around them changed. Panels of sight and sound grew on either side of them as memories were called and brought to the surface for display. Azami locking Erina into the training room; Azami throwing away another plate of food; Azami telling her that her mother abandoned them.

More and more panels emerged, each of them involving Azami and none of them pleasant. In them all, Erina's father was a figure of fear and intimidation, whispering softly in a pleasant voice that only served to hide the antipathy beneath it.

 **Stop it!**

The panels blew away, fading from sight as the young Erina panted. The chains on her wrists clanked together harshly as she swiped her hands from left to right.

 **Otou-sama loves us; he deserves our respect and our obedience. That's why he punishes us. It's for our own good.**

To hear her father's words parroted back to her by herself incensed Erina for more reasons than one. It wasn't an easy thing to hear what you'd once believed repeated back to you with such conviction. Erina remembered when she felt this way; when she'd taken her father's words at face value. That she was the one at fault; it was _she_ that needed to be better.

"Nothing about what he did to us was for our own good." Said Erina, her face stoic. It was only to hide the inner turmoil she felt, though the soft rumbling of the space around them indicated that she wasn't very successful.

 **Otou-sama wanted the best for us; he wants us to be the best chef and Nakiri we can be. That's all he's ever wanted.**

"You're right; he did want us to be the best Nakiri we could be. But that was all he needed us to be."

 **You speak lies. Father loves us; it is simple fact.**

The fierce believe in her voice only hurt Erina more but she hardened her heart. Nothing but the truth would suffice here; they were one and the same. Deceiving the young girl would be equivalent to Erina deceiving herself and Erina was not going to do that. She'd done enough of it over the years. It was time to face reality.

The sudden clarity of thought surprised Erina. It wasn't as if this was the first time she'd thought in this manner, that she'd thought negatively of her father and what he'd done. But those thoughts were often accompanied by rationalizations and justifications; reasons as to why Azami had needed to do what he did. Excuses she could use to hide herself from the truth.

But this split changed things; Erina could feel it. She wasn't quite herself; she was different. She lacked certain things; things she saw reflected in her younger self here. They weren't two people; simply two halves of the same whole.

But as a result, this half of Erina saw things clearly; she saw things she'd been too blind to see or simply too stubborn to accept. But she would need to, if she had any hope of resolving this. She was sure of it.

Erina crouched down, sitting in seiza so she was roughly eye to eye with her younger self; her more innocent self. The Erina that saw things in simple black and white and had the childish naiveté and stubbornness to resist changing her beliefs.

Erina took a deep breath, steeling herself for the coming conversation.

"Do you remember when Tou-san first locked us in that place? The very first time?"

Erina's child self flinched as the world around them changed and they were both sitting in chairs at the large dining table in the empty room that her father chose to train them in. The darkness was complete around them, to the point where Erina couldn't even see her hand in front of her face.

The room shook as the panic of her younger self began to grown.

"Yes. This is what I wanted you to remember; the darkness and the fear and the cold."

With each word, the sensation Erina described encroached closer and closer upon them. Erina found that, for once, she was not afraid of it. But that was because it was her other side that contained those childish fears.

 **No! Stop! Please; I'll be good, I promise!**

Instantly the room vanished, leaving both Erina's sitting on the ground as they had been in the void of their mind.

Erina shook her head.

"No. I am not him. I am not here to subjugate and pressure you into doing what I want. I'm here to help you…to help _us_."

Erina clenched her fist, willing herself to say what she'd known for so long but could never speak out loud.

"We love our father, Nakiri Azami. But he does not love us."

 **That's not true!**

Erina lurched back as her younger self yelled, her anger almost a physical force. Erina did not let it sway her; she knew her own tantrums better than anyone.

"Yes. It is. What parent would do this to their child? Commit this sort of needless torture?"

 **It wasn't torture! It was discipline. There's a difference!**

"You're right; there is a difference. Discipline is a stern talking to, being sent to bed without dessert or perhaps even a spanking." Said Erina, shrugging her shoulders.

 **Otou-sama would never raise his hands against us.**

Erina gestured and a panel came forth; of a frightened Nakiri Erina with her wrist held in Azami's much larger hand. The pain on her face said it all as she struggled to keep hold of the plate in her hands.

"Let it fall, Erina. Trash belongs in the garbage can. And that is what this food is. Do you understand me?"

Azami punctuated his statement by squeezing down on her wrist. _Hard_. Not so hard as to leave a mark or injury but more than hard enough to hurt Erina to the point of tears.

Both of the Erinas watching the memory flinched, their hands going to their right wrists.

"He may have never raised his hands. But he wasn't exactly hands off either." Said Erina tightly, narrowing her eyes at her younger self, who's face had fallen as they watched the scene from the past.

 **That's** **different. We should've listened to Otou-sama. He…he only did what was necessary.**

"For him. He did what was necessary for him. Not us." Said Erina firmly.

The young Erina bit her lip, her brow furrowing as she glared at Erina.

 **You're lying!**

The childlike Erina's mood swings were fierce and unpredictable but Erina was used to them. They were her own, after all, simply without the temperance of age and proper bearing. If her younger form contained some parts that she did not, it stood to reason that the reverse was also true.

 **We were a bad girl. And Otou-sama punished us. And so we learnt not to be bad.**

"You're right. We did learn. We learnt every painful lesson our father ever gave us because we knew what the consequences were when we didn't learn fast enough."

 **Exactly! And so we didn't make those mistakes again. And we learnt even more. We were everything Otou-sama wanted us to be.**

"Again, you are correct. We were exactly what he wanted to be. But were we exactly what we…what _I_ wanted to be?"

The childlike Erina frowned but didn't respond, confused by the question.

 **Otou-sama knew the best path for us to walk and guided us accordingly. He was doing what was best for us.**

"How?" asked Erina.

Her childlike self paused; uncertain. The doubt was quickly overtaken by simple, childish confidence.

 **Look at our accomplishments; we've critiqued food from around the world, we've brought honor to the Nakiri name, we've become the best chef in our year. We've been an exemplary acting heiress for years now and are set to inherit our grandfather's legacy once he sees fit. We have money, power, fame and wealth beyond most people's wildest dreams.**

The child planted her fists on her hips, her confidence growing with each word until she was smirking at Erina with a haughty look she knew well.

 **If that's not what was best for us, then I challenge you to tell me what would have been.**

"Gladly." Said Erina, standing to her feet and startling her other self. "First, I shall challenge your assumptions. Do you think Ojii-chan is incompetent? An imbecile, or a fraud perhaps?"

Erina's childlike self glowered at her.

 **Of course not; Ojii-chan is an amazing chef and family leader. We should be proud to call him grandfather.**

"And yet isn't he the one that banished Tou-san years ago?" asked Erina.

 **Yes, but even great men make mistakes. That's universally true.**

"True. But do you really think he would've continued making that same mistake, year after year? He continued to blockade our father's every effort to return to his position; it was only recently that our father managed to slip past him. Why would Ojii-chan invest that much into doing something that was a 'mistake'?"

Erina didn't give her younger self time to collect her thoughts; she continued speaking.

"More importantly; we are a Nakiri regardless. It is our mother and not our father that determines that. His contribution is immaterial compared to the birth right we have."

 **Even so, he refined our tongue into its current divine form and…**

The look of condescension she was receiving from her elder self made the childlike Erina pause, mid-sentence.

"Please." Said Erina, flicking her hair. "Our tongue needed no refinement and you know that. All we needed to do was match taste to ingredient. Discerning them was never an issue for us."

 **But Otou-sama taught us the difference between food and trash; there is a standard that we must hold ourselves to!**

"Do you recall Yukihira Sōma's entrance exam?" asked Erina mildly. She gestured once more, bringing up a panel of the memory. "Specifically, remember the dish he made us? The one we scoffed at and dismissed as commoner's fare only to find that it tasted better than many of the so called 'real foods' that we'd been reared to revere?"

 **That's…well…**

Erina's younger self had no real rebuttal. It was true. She'd tasted dishes that were most certainly gourmet and high class yet they lost out to the simple fare that Sōma had produced time and again.

"As for your claim that he made us a better chef…think of our time in Polar Star. Specifically, think of the time spent in the kitchen. Cooking and learning with everyone else."

Panels sprung to life once more, each depicting a different scene of kitchen activity between Erina and a member of the Polar Star dormitory.

"We learnt so much in our time there; so much beyond what we'd ever thought possible. At Polar Star, they didn't care about rules or guidelines or what was and wasn't gourmet cuisine. They simply cooked because they loved it. And whether you agree with their philosophies or not, we have become an objectively better chef because of it and that is something you can't deny."

It was true. Her cooking had improved by leaps and bounds from just being inside those four walls. Her style had become noticeably less rigid and more robust. Though she still favored dishes of a certain caliber, she was a more well-rounded chef than she'd ever been in her life.

 **Their food is beneath us.**

The protest was weak and they both knew it.

"We share this tongue. You've tasted what I have. You know that for all that it is beneath us, the foods we've had in that dormitory have more often than not outclassed the restaurants we frequented."

The childlike Erina's silence was more telling than any response she could give.

"In addition, were it not for our time there, we would never have been able to meet Joichiro-sensei again. To train under him along with…"

Unbidden, an image of Todokoro Megumi came into being on the panel before them.

Erina paused and smiled. Even if she didn't possess the same depth of feeling that her childish half did, she still felt her heart beat for Megumi's.

 **Stop that.**

Erina glanced at her younger self, who refused to look at the panel.

 **I know what you're thinking; it's not true.**

But it was. And Erina would ensure that she knew it. At her will, another panel popped up, this one depicting Erina and Megumi in the bath, pitting their rubber duck toys against each other. Then another panel showed them sitting under a tree in the forest behind the Polar Star dormitory, holding hands and talking. Yet another panel showed them standing over a pot, laughing as Megumi stirred it.

More and more panels began to emerge, each picturing a memory of a time spent with the blue haired chef.

 **I don't care how many pictures you bring up; it's not true. It can't be true.**

Erina's younger self shook her head violently, balling up her fists.

 **She has no place here. This is a place only for Otou-sama.**

"A position that he is unfit for; that he no longer deserves."

 **That's not true!**

Erina's childish yell was so loud that it shook the very foundations of her mind. But the panels filled with Megumi's smiling features stayed, unmoved. Erina watched as her other self swiped at them, trying to will the panels away much as she'd done before. Each failure only served to make her more and more angry until she was hyperventilating; pounding her small fists on the nearest panel as hard as she could.

Erina didn't move, content to wait. She didn't have to wait very long.

 **You're trying to trick me; you don't want to listen to Otou-sama and so you want to make me not listen to.**

Erina's childlike form did not speak with confidence now; she spoke with desperation. She was not blind to the emotions Erina felt and it scared her; it scared her because of what it had the potential to make real.

"You're right. I have no desire to listen to that man. But I am not trying to trick you. I'm giving you a simple fact; one that we know but that _you_ refuse to accept."

Erina strode over to her younger self, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Our father may love us in his own twisted way, true. But he hurt us. And he used us. And he plans to keep using us to get what he wants. He is so focused on himself and what he wants that, rather than accept our choices, he turned us into a slave to his every word. He made us a servant instead of a daughter."

Each word hurt Erina to say but she found that, unlike before when she'd flirted with this realization, she had the strength to continue saying it to herself. Her childlike self burrowed into Erina's side, beginning to sob as the truth of each word hit home to her.

 **But Otou-sama loves us.**

"Possibly. But would you treat Alice or Hisako-chan the way he's treated us?" asked Erina simply. "Even if you thought they would be better chefs for it?"

 **No…**

"Would you treat Megumi-chan that way if you thought it would refine her palate?"

 **Never.**

"Then how can you call what Azami does for us and did to us love?" asked Erina. "If you wouldn't wish his treatment on our worst enemy."

Erina felt her childlike self begin to sob even harder, her hands fisting in Erina's shirt as she continued to cry. The mindscape around them shook with each rattling breath she took but Erina bore it stoically. She ran her hands through the child's head, much as her mother once did for her.

A panel bearing Katsumi's face popped into existence, startling Erina. Katsumi was smiling down at her daughter, her expression set into one of maternal affection. Erina swallowed as she stared at the picture, reminded of her recent conversation with her estranged mother.

 **At least Otou-sama had no choice when he left.**

Erina knew what she meant; she'd known for years that her mother had left of her own free will though her father and grandfather agreed that they did not know why. Erina had wracked her brain so many times trying to come up with plausible reasons as to why she left them but none ever fit or seemed the least bit likely, especially considering her father made it a point to poke holes into any theory she came up with.

But now…she found herself thinking.

Another panel popped into existence; this one blank. But soon, sound started to emerge from it.

 _I'm here baby. I'm so sorry for everything. I'm sorry for leaving you all of those years ago. I love you; I love you so much!_

She knew her mother was telling the truth. She didn't know how. But she knew. She could tell. Just as she could tell when her father was being dishonest with her, she sensed honesty in her mother's words.

 _And I don't care if you hate me for the rest of your life, I am never leaving you alone again, do you hear me Erina? Never!_

She didn't hate her. How could she? All of her resentment was fuelled by the love she still felt to this day. But it was also fuelled by the fear; a fear that Erina had harbored since she'd woken up one morning to find her mother gone. A fear that had only grown as time had passed, never truly leaving Erina's mind but always lurking just out of sight. A fear that few, if any, knew because Erina had barely had the courage to face it herself, let alone share it with others.

It began as a dream. Erina would find out where her mother was was. Exactly how varied; sometimes it was by a phone call, sometimes it was due to a chance meeting, other times there was no explanation at all. But Erina would find her mother's location and go to her immediately at a sprint. No matter where she was, she would make her way as fast as she could.

Sometimes her mother would be at a restaurant; other times she would be at an apartment; one fateful time, she'd even been inside her old room.

Erina would run up, chest heaving, unable to get a word out. She would simply stare at her mother, hands on her knees as she gasped for breath. The noise would alert the woman and she would look up at Erina. She would give the girl a small, polite small and a nod but remain silent.

Erina would catch her breath and state that she was Nakiri Erina. And her mother would respond in the exact same way, every time.

 _Who's Erina?_

That was her fear; that not only had her mother not loved her enough to stay but that she was so dismissive of her that she hadn't even deigned to remember who Erina was. A silly fear, perhaps, but an honest one.

 _I love you so much. I love you so, so much, do you hear me! I've missed you every single day for the last ten years!_

Every single day for the last ten years. She'd thought about Erina every single day. She'd never forgotten her. Never. Not once.

Erina blinked, finding her vision blurry. She touched her cheeks and found them wet with tears. She was crying…how?

She found her arms empty. Her childlike self was nowhere to be seen.

But she was not gone. She was simply back where she was supposed to be. They both were.

Erina felt her tears continue to flow and she wiped at them as she stared at the picture of Katsumi; her words playing over and over in her mind.

Her mother loved her.

More panels began to emerge, arraying themselves with the panel holding the picture of Katsumi. But these panels didn't depict Katsumi; they depicted different people. One held Alice's mischievously grinning face as she stuck her tongue out at Erina; another held Joichiro's roguish grin as he ruffled Erina's hair. Another panel showed her grandfather's smiling visage.

But one panel stood out from the rest; it was a large panel that came to rest right next to her mother's. In it was an image of a pair of clasped hands. She easily recognized them. One was hers. The other was Megumi's.

Erina took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders before turning to face what she'd felt growing behind her as the array of light and positivity had grown in front of her.

It was a single massive panel. It dwarfed every other panel in size, seeming to stretch to the ends of Erina's mind. In it, Azami's coolly smiling face was held. He gazed down at Erina with familiar eyes; eyes of ownership and pride.

Erina stared at the panel, feeling all of the previous fear and apprehension that she'd been distant from shoot up her spine. But she did not bend to it; she did not cow to the hold her father had over her. She raised her hands, holding them apart.

 _Clap._

The panel rumbled ominously but Erina was not deterred.

 _Clap._

It rumbled even more violently; the image of Azami wavering. Its eyes shifted to look at Erina, fixing her with the full weighted gaze of her father and all that he'd done to her.

 _ **And just what do you think you're doing, Erina?**_

The voice boomed over her, blowing her hair back with the sheer pressure it exuded. Erina narrowed her eyes, refusing to be intimidated.

"Leaving you. For good this time."

 _Clap._

The panel shifted, cracks forming throughout it as it buckled under some great pressure. Azami's image was still coherent, though covered in spider web cracks, and he leaned forward, looming over Erina.

 _ **You will never be free of me, Erina. I love you.**_

Erina closed her eyes.

"I know."

She raised her hand, flicking the panel with a finger. At her touch, the entire pane broke and shattered into so much dust, fading into nothingness and taking the last of her father's hold over her with it.

Erina sighed, looking back at the array of panels that held those she cared for. Another panel had joined the pattern. Nakiri Azami's smiling face was depicted in it as he held an infant Erina. It was one of the few times Erina could say she remembered her father's smile feeling both real and without malice.

Erina touched the panel, sighing. She would probably never stop loving her father. But she would not be shackled by her love any longer.

Erina felt herself begin to rise, no longer weighed down by her father's chains. She felt herself begin to fly upwards, faster and further, seemingly without end. She immersed herself in the feeling, smiling joyously as she continued to rise into the empty space. She thought she would fly forever until she saw a glass ceiling manifest where there was only empty space before. Beyond the glass was bright light.

Erina's body flew through the glass, shattering it with ease and diving straight into the light. As it overwhelmed her, Erina had one final thought before she found herself consumed by the brightness.

 _I'm coming to find you, Kaa-chan._

* * *

 **A/N: Wanted to continue more here but I think the chapter would've been way too long if I did! Happy holidays to all but you can blame them for the delay. Next chapter should be right on schedule though. Please review and give me some feedback or receive some of your own if you so desire! See you guys later!**


	32. Author's Note - No Chapter This Week

**A/N: Hi there! Sorry for the late notice but I'm just posting to tell you that there will be no chapter of Nisegami this week! I was going to just make a reddit post but I know some people don't follow this story on reddit so I'm also posting this here. When the new chapter's ready, this note will be deleted and that chapter will go up (so don't review this author's note or else you won't be able to review the new chapter!)**

Bystander: But Kishoto! Last week you said this chapter would be right on schedule!

 **Huh. So I did. It was meant to be, I promise! Between the rest of the holidays and school starting back up again (and me having to deal with all of that annoying, beginning of semester stuff), I just didn't have the time these past couple of weeks to get it up and ready for ya. And I rather you guys wait then put out something substandard, personally.**

Bystander: So when's the next chapter getting posted?

 **The next chapter will be released two weeks from now (January 21).**

Bystander: That's so long! Release it tomorrow or even next week!

 **I don't want to promise you guys it'll be done by next week only to fail to deliver because classes and work are kicking my ass. But I know for a fact that it'll be done by January 21. Forgive me for the protracted wait guys!**

Bystander: This better be worth it!

 **It...should be... ;)**

 **See ya then guys!**


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